CLEMENT    ELDRIDCE 


295A 


RESCUED  BT 
PRINCE 


CLEMENT  ELDRIDGE 

(  Captain  Nautilus  ) 
Author  of  "  THE  BOY  CAPTAIN,"  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW  YORK     AKRON.  O.     CHICAGO 
THE  SAALFIELD  PUBLISHING  CO. 

1907 


COPYRIGHT,   1901. 

BY 
THE   SAALFIELD  PUBLISHING  CO. 


Made  by 

Robert  Smith  Printing  Co 
Lansing,  Mich. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

OVER  THE  SEAS  AND  FAR  AWAY  .........       5 

CHAPTER  II. 

ESCAPING  CONVICTS      ............       15 

CHAPTER  III. 

CAPTURE  OF  THE  CONVICTS  ...........     26 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Louis  NAPOLEON      .............       3$ 

CHAPTER  V. 

THE  Loss  OF  LITTLE  HARRY  ..........     46 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  CONVICTS  IN  A  STORM    ..........       60 

CHAPTER  VII. 

SAILORS'  YARNS     >     .............     67 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

TOM  BOWLINE     .    ^     ............       78 

CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  TYPHOON  ...............     89 

CHAPTER  X. 

MRS.  WYLIE,  MISSIONARY      .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .    .     .     ioo 

CHAPTER  XI.  '  • 

FIGHT  WITH  PIRATES     .....     .......  113 

CHAPTER  XII. 

MYSTERY     ................     129 


2135293 


ii  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

LEAKY  SHIP  ...'.. 142 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

PUMP  OR  DROWN 155 

CHAPTER  XV. 

THE  MUTINY 171 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  LAUNCHING  OF  THE  "VIGILANT" 185 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE  SAILING  OF  THE  "VIGILANT" igq 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

OLD  NEPTUNE '.  .  212 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

ENGLISH  MAN-OF-WAR 226 

CHAPTER  XX. 

GOOD  NEWS  OF  HARRY 242 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  WHITE  KING  OF  THE  LOUISIADES 254 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

LOCATING  THE  CANNIBALS 266 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

HARRY  RESCUED 281 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

CONCLUSION 294 


LIST   OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


OPPOSITE 
PACK 

THE   FRENCHMAN,    WITH   A   LONG    KNIFE    CLUTCHED    IN 

His  HAND,  LAY  BLEEDING  AT  His  FEET 24 

WITH   A    HOWL    OF   TERROR,    EVERY    PIRATE    RUSHED    FOR 

THE  RAIL  AND  LEAPED  OVERBOARD         .127 

WHEN  A  BUCKET  OF   SALT  WATER  WAS   POURED  DOWN  THE 

BIG  END  OF  THE  TRUMPET 223 

QUICK  AS  A  FLASH,  THE  GIRL  CAUGHT  UP  THE  LITTLE 
FELLOW,  RUSHED  FOR  THE  ENTRANCE,  DOWN  THE 
STONE  STEPS,  AND  ALONG  THE  DARK  PASSAGE  .  .  .  286 


(iii) 


RESCUED   BY  A   PRINCE 


CHAPTER   I. 
OVER  THE  SEAS  AND   FAR   AWAY 

"  \i  7ELL,  my  dear,  have  you  found  the  position  of  the 
^  ship  this  morning?"  inquired  Captain  Willis, 
of  the  clipper  ship  "  Helen,"  as  his  wife  made  her  ap- 
pearance on  deck,  followed  by  a  bright  little  boy  of 
about  five  years. 

"  Ess,  papa,  we'se  tose  to  de  Tanbells  Islands. 
What's  tanbells,  papa?  Mama  won't  tell  me,"  said 
the  little  fellow,  with  an  injured  look  on  his  earnest, 
upturned  face. 

"Cannibals,  my  boy,"  said  Captain  Willis,  catching 
up  Captain  Harry,  as  the  sailors  called  him,  and  seating 
him  on  his  shoulder,  "are  people  who  live  on  some  of 
these  small  islands.  They  don't  build  great  houses  and 
have  horses  and  carriages  the  way  we  do  at  home,  and  it 
is  so  warm  where  they  live  that  they  don't  wear  any 
clothes.  Sometimes  all  the  men  on  one  island  go  in  their 
big  boats,  and  fight  with  the  men  on  some  other  island. 

(5) 


6  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

If  they  catch  any  of  the  men  they  are  fighting  with  they 
take  them  back  to  their  home,  where  they  kill  and  eat 
them  the  way  we  kill  and  eat  chickens,  and  because  these 
wild  men  eat  other  wild  men  we  call  them  cannibals." 

The  expression  of  horror  on  the  face  of  Mrs.  Willis 
prevented  any  further  explanation  concerning  the  habits 
of  cannibals,  and,  much  to  Harry's  disappointment,  Cap- 
tain Willis  placed  the  little  fellow  on  deck  saying,  "  Run 
and  play  with  Darkey;  he  will  look  out  for  Captain 
Harry." 

"Darkey  tan  eat  tanbells,  tant  you  Darkey?"  said 
Harry,  throwing  his  arms  around  the  neck  of  his  friend 
and  playmate.  Then,  while  his  light  curls  mingled 
with  the  black  shaggy  coat  of  the  great  dog,  the  child 
confidentially  told  Darkey  all  about  the  "tanbells," 
adding,  as  if  Darkey  doubted  his  statement,  " 'Tis  so, 
Darkey,  for  de  ole  man  says  'tis." 

"What  put  that  cannibal  idea  into  his  head?  I 
have  not  heard  that  word  used  during  this  voyage," 
said  the  Captain,  watching  the  great  Newfoundland  dog, 
whose  color  had  suggested  the  name  "Darkey,"  in  his 
play  with  the  little  boy. 

"I  did,"  quietly  replied  Mrs.  Willis,  looking  over 
the  broad  expanse  of  water,  where  it  appears  to  touch 
the  sky,  as  if  expecting  some  unwelcome  visitor.  When 
she  had  made  the  entire  sweep  of  the  horizon  she  placed 
the  glass  under  her  arm  in  true  nautical  style,  and  con- 
tinued :  "After  working  out  the  longitude  from  the 


OVER    THE  SEAS  A\D   FAR  AWAY         l 

altitudes  you  gave  me  this  morning,  I  went  into  the 
chart  room  to  point  off  the  position  of  the  ship.  I  found 
that  at  the  time  of  observation  we  were  about  halfway 
between  the  east  coast  of  Australia  and  New  Caledonia, 
and  that  if  we  hold  our  course  we  will  pass  not  more 
than  two  degrees  west  of  that  French  penal  colony. 
When  I  discovered  that  after  passing  New  Caledonia 
our  course  lies  within  a  few  miles  of  Stewart  Island, 
I  was  so  surprised  that  I  involuntarily  exclaimed,  '  Why, 
that  is  one  of  the  Cannibal  Islands  !'  Harry,  as  he  sat 
on  the  chart,  marking  off,  with  red  ink,  a  track  of  his 
own,  overheard  the  exclamation  and  grew  quite  indig- 
nant because  I  would  not  explain  to  his  satisfaction. 
So  he  rushed  on  deck  to  ask  '  my  papa. '  ' ' 

"  I  cannot  see  any  reason  why  you  should  feel  anx- 
ious because  we  may  pass  within  a  hundred  miles  of  a 
colony  of  French  convicts,  as  securely  guarded  as  if 
they  were  inside  of  prison  walls,  or  why  our  passing 
near  Stewart's  Island,  which  was  surveyed  many  years 
ago  and  marked  '  cannibal '  on  a  chart  older  than  you, 
should  cause  such  gloomy  forebodings,"  said  Captain 
Willis,  intently  watching  his  wife. 

' '  I  am  not  trying  to  reason  it  out ;  I  am  governed 
by  a  more  potent  force  than  logic.  My  subcon- 
scious thought,  or  intuition,  or  whatever  you  may  call 
it,  warns  me  of  impending  trouble  this  voyage,"  replied 
the  Captain's  wife,  in  such  a  determined  manner  that 
Captain  Willis  had  no  desire  to  treat  lightly,  as  he 


8  RESCUED  BY  A   PRINCE 

had  done  many  times,  what  he  called  "woman's  intui- 
tion." 

"  Danger  and  trouble  are  a  sailor's  inheritance,"  said 
the  Captain,  endeavoring  to  cheer  his  wife.  "  We  meet 
them  every  day  in  the  shape  of  storms,  hidden  reefs,  and 
mutinous  sailors.  Without  these  little  diversions,  a 
sailor's  life  would  become  monotonous,  and  we  would 
soon  be  like  the  prosaic  tiller  of  the  soil." 

"We  have  never  had  to  deal  with  pirates  or  can- 
nibals, and  if  we  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  those 
man-eating  savages  —  O!  they  would  surely  eat  Harry 
first,  right  before  our  eyes,  and  we  powerless  to  pre- 
vent it,"  exclaimed  the  Captain's  wife,  with  a  look 
of  anguish  that  startled  the  Captain. 

"What  makes  you  think  they  would  eat  him  first, 
or  even  harm  him,  if  we  should  fall  into  their 
power?  He  is  not  large  enough  to  supply  a  cannibal 
feast.  I  am  not  governed  by  intuition,  but  my  rea- 
son would  teach  me  that  they  would  be  more  likely 
to  adopt  him  and  invest  him  with  all  the  tribal 
rights  and  prerogatives.  Who  knows  but  he  may 
become  a  King  of  the  Cannibal  Islands,  and  you  the 
mother  of  a  King?"  said  the  Captain,  again  seek- 
ing to  allay  his  wife's  fears  by  his  jocular  re- 
marks. 

"O  Frank!  how  can  you  talk  so  lightly  on  such 
a  serious  subject!"  Then,  unable  to  control  her  feel- 
ings, she  turned  and  entered  her  cabin,  while  "Cap- 


OVER   THE  SEAS  AND  FAR  Aw  AT         9 

tain     Harry,"     who     was     romping     the     deck     with 
Darkey,    had    forgotten    all   about    "tan bells." 

Notwithstanding  the  light  manner  in  which  Cap- 
tain Willis  had  treated  his  wife's  fears,  he,  was  ill 
at  ease,  and  a  sigh  escaped  his  lips  as  she  disap- 
peared. Knowing  her  emotional  nature,  he  did  not 
follow,  but  turned  and  paced  the  deck  in  a  thought- 
ful mood.  Not  yet  thirty,  he  had  commanded  a 
ship  for  eight  years,  and  had  visited  all  parts  of 
the  world,  meeting  dangers  in  every  form.  His 
wife,  three  years  his  junior,  no  less  brave-  and  as 
good  a  navigator  as  himself,  had,  on  three  different 
occasions,  saved  his  life  by  her  coolness  and  daring 
amid  great  danger.  Now  that  she,  for  the  first  time 
during  the  seven  years  in  which  she  had  been  his 
constant  companion,  showed  apprehension  of  danger, 
unnerved  him.  The  idea  that  anything  could  hap- 
pen that  would  imperil  the  lives  of  his  wife  and 
boy  never  entered  his  mind.  He  was  prepared  to 
make  the  best  of  whatever  came  his  way.  ' '  She 
must  be  growing  nervous,"  he  thought.  "And  why 
not  ? "  he  exclaimed  aloud,  as  he  stopped  short  in 
his  walk,  surprised  that  he  had  not  thought  of  it 
before.  Had  she  not  passed  through  many  trying 
scenes,  and  shamed  the  bravest  sailor  in  time  of  dan- 
ger? He  had  only  thought  of  the  heroic  side  of 
her  nature,  and  did  not  realize  what  heroism  it  re- 
quired to  force  that  slender,  nervous  form  to  such 


10  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

marvelous  feats  of  bravery  and  endurance.  She  was 
always  present  at  the  right  time  and  place ;  but 
when  the  danger  had  passed,  her  finer  nature  would 
assert  itself,  and  she  would  sink  off  into  a  death- 
like swoon  that  for  hours  would  baffle  the  efforts  of 
the  ship's  entire  company  to  bring  her  back  to  life. 
Captain  Willis  wras  so  absorbed  in  thinking  over 
some  of  the  many  stirring  adventures  of  the  past 
seven  years,  in  which  his  wife  had  always  appeared 
as  the  central  character,  that  he  did  not  notice  she 
had  returned  to  the  deck,  and,  with  all  traces  of 
her  former  anxiety  banished,  stood  watching  him 
with  mingled  tenderness  and  sympathy. 

"If  I  can  judge  from  the  telltale  expression  on 
your  face,  you  do  not  fully  appreciate  the  great  honor 
of  some  day  seeing  your  only  son  a  King  of  the 
Cannibal  Islands,"  said  Mrs.  Willis,  with  a  sad  smile 
that  troubled  her  husband  more  than  he  was  willing 
to  admit. 

' '  My  darling  wife, ' '  he  replied,  as  he  tenderly 
placed  his  arm  around  her  waist  and  began  to  prom- 
enade the  quarter-deck,  ' '  this  must  be  for  you  a  very 
sad  and  lonely  life:  always  away  from  your  kindred 
and  friends;  deprived  of  the  comforts  of  a  home 
upon  the  land;  tossed  about  at  the  will  of  the  waves, 
ever  changing,  never  resting;  today  in  a  storm  that 
fills  you  with  dread  and  anxiety,  tomorrow  in  a  calm 
that  is  irritating  almost  beyond  human  endurance; 


OVER   THE  SEAS  AND  FAR  Aw  AT       11 

now  suffering  under  a  tropical  sun,  later  shivering 
in  a  frigid  zone;  surrounded  by  rough,  but  brave, 
true-hearted  sailors,  and  subject  to  dangers  every  day 
of  your  life  that  would  cause  the  hair  of  a  landsman 
to  turn  white  and  even  take  the  kinks  out  of  the 
knotted  wool  on  an  African's  head." 

"Why  will  you  continue  to  talk  so  lightly  about 
what  I  consider  a  very  serious  matter  ? ' '  queried  his 
wife  in  a  reproachful  tone. 

' '  I  never  was  more  serious  in  my  life, ' '  replied 
the  Captain.  "  During  the  last  half  hour  I  have  been 
thinking  over  our  life  for  the  past  seven  years,  and 
am  converted, —  experienced  a  change  of  heart,  as 
the  preacher  would  call  it,  and  as  I  cannot  go  to  sea 
without  you,  have  decided  that  this  shall  be  our  last 
voyage."  Mrs.  Willis  made  no  reply,  but  her  eyes 
filled  with  tears.  "Until  this  time,"  the  Captain  con- 
tinued, "I  have  thought  only  of  the  exhilarating  life 
of  a  sailor,  as  free  and  not  unlike  the  wind  that 
blows,  sometimes  in  gentle  zephyrs,  only  rippling  the 
waters,  then  again  in  an  angry  mood,  lashing  old 
ocean  into  foam  and  transforming  its  smooth  surface 
into  mountain-like  waves  with  valleys  between,  leav- 
ing death  and  destruction  in  its  path.  It  will  be  hard 
to  part  company  with  this  noble  ship,"  he  said,  as  he 
gazed  fondly  upon  the  tall  masts  and  long  spars  sup- 
porting clouds  of  white  canvas,  with  a  pride  that 


12  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

only  a  true  sailor  can  feel,  "but,  if  we  cannot  find 
contentment  here  we  will  seek  it  elsewhere.  Happi- 
ness is  the  supreme  desire  of  all  creatures;  it  is  the 
sole  object  of  creation,  or  life  is  a  failure." 

"I  have  never  complained,"  she  replied  softly, 
"and  while  you  follow  this  dangerous  life  I  shall  feel  it 
my  duty  to  sail  with  you.  But  you  have  never  tried 
any  other  occupation,  and  it  may  not  be  so  distasteful 
as  you  imagine." 

"  L,ife  ashore  is  not  all  pleasure,  with  its  ceaseless 
round  of  gayeties  and  social  obligations.  I  never  leave 
port  but  I  am  heartily  glad  to  get  away  from  the 
sharp  business  practices,  and  canting  hypocrisies  of 
the  'first  families '  who  entertain  and  lionize  us  for 
the  percentage  on  the  business  we  bring  to  them,  and 
treat  our  honest  business  methods  as  stock  jokes  till 
the  next  ship  arrives,"  said  Captain  Willis,  with  a 
look  of  contempt  on  his  honest  face.  "But,"  he 
continued  in  a  gayer  tone  ' '  we  will  make  the  most 
of  this  voyage,  visit  for  the  last  time  the  heathen 
Chinese,  and  bid  a  last  farewell  to  the  restless  little 
Japs.  We  will  beat  off  the  cannibals,  and  perhaps 
have  a  brush  with  some  of  those  pirates,  just  to  keep 
our  hand  in  and  have  something  startling  to  tell  to 
our  grandchildren." 

"Don't  talk  so,  Frank,  it  makes  me  tremble*  to 
think  of  what  dangers  there  may  be  in  store  for  us. 


OVER   THE  SEAS  AND  FAR  A  WAT       13 

We  may  never  reach  home.     I  know   something  terri- 
ble will  happen." 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you,  little  woman?  Yon 
seem  to  be  losing  your  nerve,"  said-  Captain  Willis, 
with  a  tremor  in  his  voice  which  he  endeavored  to  con- 
ceal. "Why,  I  would  rather  have  you  when  we  get 
into  a  tight  place  than  the  whole  ship's  company.  If 
you  lose  courage  I  shall  have  no  one  to  depend  upon 
in  time  of  danger." 

"No,  I  am  not  losing  my  courage;  you  don't  un- 
derstand. You  can  depend  upon  me  as  long  as  there 
is  any  danger,  but  I  shall  be  happy  when  we  quit  the 
sea  forever.  This  nervous  strain  is  too  much  for  me." 

' '  Quarter-deck  a-h-o-y ! ' '  came  from  the  lookout  at 
the  masthead. 

"Hel-l-o,"  replied  the  Captain,  while  his  wife,  with 
a  start,  looked  inquiringly  at  him,  and  Harry  and 
Darkey  came  running  aft. 

"A  ship's  boat,  sir,  four  points  off  the  lee  bow,  fly- 
ing a  signal  of  distress." 

"Keep  your  eye  on  the  boat,"  replied  the  Captain  ; 
and  then  to  the  man  at  the  wheel,    "  Keep  her  off  four 
points. ' ' 
,    "Ay,  ay,  sir,"  responded  the  man  at  the  helm." 

"  Dead. ahead,  sir  !  "  shouted  the  man  from  the  look- 
out, as  the  ship  swung  off  obedient  to  her  helm. 

"Steady  there,"   shouted  the  Captain. 


14  RESCUED  sr  A   PRINCE 

"Steady,  sir,"  replied  the  well-trained  sailor. 

Captain  Willis  seized  his  glass  and  quickly  mounted 
the  rigging  to  the  maintop,  while  his  wife  slowly 
walked  the  deck,  followed  by  little  Harry  and  Darkey, 
his  constant  companion. 


CHAPTER   II. 

ESCAPING    CONVICTS 

ryiHE  sighting  of  a  ship  at  sea  is  a  matter  of  great 
interest  to  a  sailor ;  especially  in  that  part  of 
the  ocean  where  for  weeks  not  a  form  is  outlined 
against  the  receding  horizon,  and  the  eye  becomes 
weary  with  its  constant  search  for  some  speck  to 
break  the  monotony  of  that  continuous,  briny  plain, 
encircled  by  the  rim  of  the  great  dome  of  heaven, 
which  appears  to  be  held  over  it  by  some  invisible 
power,  with  the  ship  ever  in  the  center.  But  the 
meeting  of  an  open  boat  in  mid-ocean  is  an  occa- 
sion so  rare  that  it  excites  both  curiosity  and  sym- 
pa.thy,  for  it  indicates  shipwreck,  suffering,  and  even 
loss  of  life,  either  by  drowning,  if  the  ship  went 
down,  or  by  a  fierce  fight  between  officers  and  muti- 
nous sailors  ;  or,  perhaps,  the  worst  of  all  horrors,  by 
starvation  while  drifting  about  on  the  pathless  sea. 

The  cry  from  the  man  at  the  masthead  went 
through  the  ship  like  an  electric  shock,  and  before 
the  sound  of  his  voice  had  died  away  every  man 
was  on  deck,  climbing  the  rigging  to  gain  some 

2  (15) 


16  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

vantage  point  from  which  to  obtain  a  view  of  the 
strangers. 

The  wind  had  been  gradually  dying  out  during 
the  morning  and  was  now  very  light.  The  ship, 
deeply  laden  with  coal,  scarcely  under  steerageway, 
was  making  but  slow  progress  towards  the  object  in 
which  every  one  on  board  was  intensely  interested. 
The  Captain,  after  completing  his  observations  from 
the  masthead,  joined  his  wife  on  the  quarter-deck, 
where  all  the  officers  of  the  ship  had  assembled, 
anxiously  waiting  to  hear  his  report. 

"Mr.  Baker,"  said  Captain  Willis,  addressing  his 
chief  officer,  ' '  take  your  glass  and  go  to  the  top- 
gallant crosstrees  and  see  if  you  can  make  her  out." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  responded  the  officer  as  he  has- 
tened away  to  execute  the  order,  while  the  group  on 
the  quarter-deck  speculated  as  to  where  a  boat  in 
these  latitudes  could  come  from.  There  had  been  no 
severe  storm,  and  it  was  impossible  for  any  ship  to 
sink  in  the  smooth  waters  of  these  tropical  seas. 

"Captain,  what  is  your  opinion  about  a  boat  at 
sea  in  these  latitudes  ? ' '  inquired  Mr.  Jones,  the  sec- 
ond officer,  unable  to  remain  silent  any  longer. 

"That  boat,"  replied  the  Captain,  "is  manned 
either  by  the  victims  of  a  mutiny  or  convicts  from 
New  Caledonia ;  but  we  have  nothing  to  fear  from 
either.  If  they  are  the  unfortunate  officers  of  some 
ship  they  need  our  assistance,  and  they  will  live  to 


ESCAPING  CONVICTS  17 

bless  the  rascals  that  set  them  afloat  on  an  open 
sea,  instead  of  compelling  them  to  'walk  the  plank.' 
If  they  are  convicts  they  have  earned  their  freedom. 
We  will  supply  them  with  provisions  and  water  and 
send  them  on  their  way  rejoicing." 

"Quarter-deck  a-h-o-y ! "  came  from  Mr.  Baker  ?t 
the  masthead. 

"  Hel-l-o,"  responded  the  Captain,  "can  you  mak<» 
her  out  yet  ? ' ' 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,  she's  a  ten-oared  boat  with  eighteen 
men,  pulling  directly  for  us." 

"All  right,  Mr.  Baker,  you  may  come  down,"  re 
plied  the  Captain;  then  to  his  wife,  "That  settles  it; 
they  are  convicts  making  their  escape  from  the  island." 

' '  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  "  anxiously  inquired 
his  wife. 

"Fkst,  there  are  too  many  for  the  result  of  a 
mutiny.  In  such  cases  the  officers  are  either  given  a 
free  pass,  by  the  way  of  the  famous  'plank  route,'  to 
'  Davy  Jones's  locker,'  or  the  use  of  a  boat  which  often 
leads  to  the  same  destination.  Second,  if  they  were 
the  mutineers,  who  had  murdered  their  officers  and 
scuttled  the  ship,  they  would  avoid  us  instead  of  try- 
ing to  attract  our  attention,  and  even  pulling  hard  at 
tha  oars  to  reach  us  as  quickly  as  possible." 

' '  If  they  are  convicts,  would  they  not  have  reason 
to  avoid  us,  fearing  we  might  deprive  them  of  the 
freedom  for  which  they  have  risked  so  much,  by  send 


18  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

ing  them  back  to  their  island  prison  ? ' '  asked  his  wife, 
in  some  doubt  as  to  the  correctness  of  her  husband's 
decision. 

' '  No,  the  man  who  planned  that  job  and  has  taken 
care  of  the  enterprise,  now  half  completed,  is  no  or- 
dinary person.  They  have  run  short  of  provisions  a 
long  way  from  land,  without  obtaining  their  freedom, 
and,  with  starvation  staring  them  in  the  face,  would  - 
prefer  capture  ;  but  knowing  the  sympathy  their  pre- 
carious condition  would  naturally  incite,  they  have  no 
fears  of  meeting  a  merchant  ship  on  the  high  seas." 

"  What  you  say  may  be  logical,  but  do  not  over- 
look the  fact  that  there  are  as  many  men  in  that  boat 
as  we  have  on  board  this  ship,  and  that  we  may  be 
in  danger  if  they  are  not,"  said  Mrs.  Willis,  with 
great  alarm.  "Give  them  what  they  wrant,  but  do  not 
allow  them  to  come  on  board." 

"Why,  my  dear,  there  is  not  the  slightest  danger 
from  a  few  starving  men  who  are  risking  their  lives 
for  liberty.  I  declare  I  admire  their  nerve,  but  if  you 
do  not  want  them  to  come  on  board  that  settles  it. 
Get  up  the  capstan  bars  and  a  liberal  supply  of  be- 
laying pins,  Mr.  Baker,  and  prepare  to  repel  board- 
ers. ' ' 

"  You  never  see  any  danger,  but  what  would  have 
become  of  you  if  I  had  always  shared  your  ideas?" 
said  Mrs.  Willis,  as  she  took  Harry  by  the  hand  and 
led  him  into  the  cabin,  her  eyes  filled  with  tears. 


ESCAPING   CONVICTS  19 

"  Missus  is  always  right,  Captain,"  said  Mr.  Baker, 
with  some  warmth,  "and  we  would  all  have  been 
stowed  away  in  'Davy  Jones's  locker'  long  ago  if  it 
had  not  been  for  her.  She  is  the  guardian  angel  of 
this  ship,  and  we  have  never  regretted  taking  her  ad- 
vice. She  just  gets  at  the  facts  in  a  way  that  knocks 
your  reasoning  all  aback." 

"Well,"  said  Captain  Willis,  in  a  tone  that  indi- 
cated he  was  not  well  pleased  with  the  remarks  of  his 
first  officer,  "  if  we  allow  a  boat  load  of  unarmed  con- 
victs to  capture  this  ship,  the  sooner  we  find  our  proper 
berths  under  the  briny,  and  make  room  for  a  better 
class  of  men,  the  better  it  will  be  for  the  race.  Call 
all  hands  aft!" 

' '  All  hands  lay  aft  on  the  quarter-deck  ! ' '  called 
Mr.  Baker,  in  the  long-drawn  sonorous  tone  of  the  reg- 
ular nautical  type,  that  would  have  won  honor  and  pro- 
motion for  a  boatswain's  mate  on  a  man-of-war. 

"  Men,"  said  the  Captain,  with  a  dramatical  air,  "we 
are  about  to  receive  a  visit  from  a  boat  load  of  half- 
starved,  and  most  likely  unarmed  men.  I  do  not  ap- 
prehend any  danger,  but  to  allay  the  fears  of  my  wife, 
be  on  deck  ready  to  turn  to,  and  if  you  notice  any  signs 
of  a  squall  stand  by  to  lower  away. ' ' 

"  Missus  is  allus  right,  Captain,"  interrupted  a  gray- 
haired  old  sailor,  touching  his  cap,  "three  cheers  for 
Missus." 

After  the  cheering,  which  was  given  with  a  will  by 


20  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

the  ship's  company,  the  Captain  continued,  "I  am 
ashamed  to  arm  against  these  poor  fellows,  who  want 
nothing  of  us  more  than  we  would  willingly  give  to  as 
many  starving  dogs,  but  until  we  get  better  acquainted 
with  them  keep  your  wreather  eye  lifting." 

The  sailors  left  the  quarter-deck  and  gathered  around 
the  capstan  on  the  topgallant  forecastle,  the  couacil 
chamber  for  all  sailors,  to  discuss  the  question  of  the 
Captain's  reasoning,  or  Missus'  "just  say  so."  They 
admired  their  Captain  for  his  bravery  and  daring,  but 
with  the  superstitious  natures  common  to  all  sailors, 
they  looked  upon  ' '  Missus ' '  as  one  endowed  with  a 
power  to  foretell  coming  events.  ' '  Missus  is  allus 
right ' '  was  their  unanimous  verdict,  while  the  look  of 
defiance  on  their  weather-beaten  faces,  as  they  watched 
the  approaching  boat,  boded  no  good  to  an  enemy. 

The  cheering  of  the  sailors  brought  the  Captain's 
wife  on  deck  just  as  her  husband  had  finished  his  speech. 
Addressing  her  he  said,  smiling,  "  You  see  I  am  making 
all  preparations  for  the  enemy,  even  to  the  speech  be- 
fore the  battle,  but  the  men  did  not  seem  to  appreciate 
my  eloquent  appeal  to  their  bravery,  for  they  inter- 
rupted me  in  the  most  affecting  part  of  my  speech  by 
proposing  three  cheers  for  Missus,  which  so  cempletely 
took  the  wind  out  of  my  sails  that  I  Sear  I  shall  not 
recover  in  time  to  fight  these  convicts." 

"I  appreciate  the  precaution  you  have  taken,  which 
is  of  more  value  than  strength,  and  may  serve  us  much 


ESCAPING   CONVICTS  21 

better  than  your  speech,"  said  Mrs.  Willis,  apparently 
uot  noticing  the  cheerful  manner  of  her  husband. 

The  ship  was  now  near  enough  to  the  boat  to  easily 
make  out  its  occupants.  Ten  men  were  pulling  lustily 
at  the  oars,  six  seated  in  the  stern  sheets,  aad  two 
standing  in  the  bows. 

"The  way  those  fellows  pull  that  boat  through  the 
water  is  positive  proof  that  they  are  not  much  weakened 
from  starvation,"  said  Captain  Willis,  laying  down  his 
glass  as  the  men  rested  on  their  oars,  while  the  boat, 
still  under  the  impetus  of  the  rowers,  glided  up  under 
the  stern  of  the  ship. 

' '  Boat    a-h-o-y  ! ' '    shouted    Captain    Willis. 

"  Hel-l-o  "    (in  French),  came  the  reply. 

' '  Where  are  you  from  ?  ' ' 

' '  New  Caledonia. ' ' 

' '  Where  are  you  bound  ? ' ' 

"  Australia." 

' '  What  do  you  want  ? ' ' 

' '  Provisions  and  water. ' ' 

"Pull  up  under  the  lee  quarter,"  said  Captain 
Willis.  Then  to  a  sailor,  "Stand  by  there  with  a 
rope." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  the  sailor,  continuing  in  an 
undertone,  "I'd  like  to  put  a  noose  in  it,  and  hang 
the  frog  eaters." 

"Don't  let  them  come  on  board,  Frank,"  said  the 
Captain's  wife,  laying  her  hand  on  his  arm. 


22  RESCUED  BY  A  PRIXCE 

"How  can  I  supply  them  with  the  actual  necessi 
ties  of  life  unless  I  permit  them  to  come  alongside. 
They  are  a  rough-looking  crowd,"  said  the  Captain, 
looking  first  at  their  soiled  prison  garb,  then  at  theii 
unshaven  faces  and  croppy  hair,  ' '  but  I  guess  we  can 
manage  them." 

As  the  boat  was  drawn  up  under  the  lee  quarter,  the 
Captain  noticed  an  object  lying  on  the  bottom  of  the 
boat,  which  by  its  partial  outlines  would  indicate 
the  form  of  a  person. 

' '  Who  is  that  on  the  bottom  of  the  boat  ? ' '  de- 
manded the  Captain  of  the  man  who  appeared  to  be 
the  leader. 

"He  is  one  of  our  company  who  has  been  sick 
ever  since  we  left  the  land." 

' '  Who  is  in  command  of  this  expedition  ?  ' '  asked 
Captain  Willis. 

"I  have  that  honor,  Monsieur  le  Capitain,"  an- 
swered the  man  who  first  responded  to  the  Captain's 
hail,  politely  touching  his  cap. 

' '  I  shall  be  pleased  to  supply  you  with  provisions 
and  water,  but  cannot  permit  you  to  come  on  board," 
said  Captain  Willis,  in  a  decided  manner. 

' '  We  are  in  a  position  to  fully  appreciate  your 
services,  and  accept  your  terms  with  pleasure,  Mon- 
sieur le  Capitain,"  returned  the  Frenchman,  in  such  a 
polite  and  gracious  manner  as  to  disarm  any  suspi- 
cions of  foul  play.  But  the  Captain's  wife  showed  no 


ESCAPING   CONVICTS  23 

emotion.  Her  face  was  a  study  for  an  artist.  While 
the  crew  were  busily  engaged  breaking  out,  and  mak- 
ing ready  the  provisions  and  water,  the  Captain  was 
talking  in  a  free  and  easy  manner  with  the  French- 
man, and  casting  fugitive  glances  at  the  form  which 
lay  motionless  on  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 

"Can't  we  do  something  for  your  sick  comrade?" 
asked  the  Captain. 

"No,  thank  you,  Monsieur  le  Capitain,  he  is  only 
seasick,  but  if  you  will  be  kind  enough  to  give  me 
our  position  and  the  course  and  distance  to  the  near- 
est point  on  the  coast  of  Australia,  you  will  do  us  the 
greatest  favor  in  your  power." 

"Certainly,"  replied  the  Captain,  "come  on  board 
and  I  will  show  you  our  position  and  your  course 
to  the  nearest  land." 

The  Frenchman  climbed  up  the  side  of  the  ship 
and  as  he  reached  the  deck  the  Captain  greeted  him 
with  a  hearty  sailor's  grip  of  honest  comradeship. 
Turning  to  the  Captain's  wife,  the  Frenchman  raised 
his  cap  and  bowed  in  a  most  courtly  style.  She, 
however,  did  not  take  the  slightest  notice  of  his 
polite  salutation.  He  was  not  prepared  for  this  ;  his 
glance  fell  to  the  deck,  his  face  flushed,  and  with  a 
crestfallen  look  he  followed  the  Captain  to  the  chart 
room. 

"Here,"  said  the  Captain,  pointing  to  a  speck 
on  the  chart  before  him,  while  the  Frenchman  stood 


24  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

behind  him  looking  over  his  shoulder,  "is  where  we 
were  this  morning.  We  have  made  but  twenty  miles 
since  on  a  Nor  North  East  course,  which  will  place  us 
at  the  present  time  in  this  position."  Applying  his 
parallel  rule  and  compasses,  he  continued,  "  Your  course 

to  the  nearest*  land  is  West  Sou  West,  distance " 

Bang!  came  the  report  of  a  pistol.  The  Captain 
sprang  from  his  seat ;  the  Frenchman,  with  a  long 
knife  clutched  in  his  hand,  lay  bleeding  at  his  feet. 
At  the  door  the  Captain's  wife,  with  a  smoking  re- 
volver in  her  hand,  stood  for  an  instant,  then  started 
for  the  deck,  snatching  a  hatchet  from  the  bracket 
as  she  rushed  up  the  companion  way  and  made  her 
way  to  the  mizzen  chains.  A  convict,  who  with 
others  had  gained  the  deck,  anticipating  her  motive, 
seized  her.  Darkey  sprang  at  his  throat  and  forced 
him  to  the  deck.  One  blow  with  the  hatchet  released 
the  boat  from  the  ship.  Two  ruffians  who  had  nearly 
reached  the  deck  dropped  into  the  water  and  regained 
the  boat,  leaving  seven  of  the  rascals  on  deck.  These 
were  quickly  subdued  and  double-ironed  by  the  thor- 
oughly enraged  sailors. 

The  brave  woman  who  had  saved  the  ship,  and 
no  doubt  the  lives  of  all  on  board,  gave  one  glance 
at  the  prisoners,  a  look  of  relief  at  the  escaping 
boat,  then  fainted  in  her  husband's  arms. 

"Mr.    Baker,"    said    the    Captain,    trembling  with 


THE   FRENCHMAN.  WITH  A   LONG   KNIFE    CLUTCHED   IN    HIS   HAND, 
LAY  BLEEDING  AT  HIS  FEET. 


ESCAPING  Couriers  25 

emotion  as  he  gazed  upon  the  deathlike  face  of  his 
wife,  ' '  Keep  that  boat  in  sight.  Tack  ship  as  soon 
as  she  gathers  way  enough,  and  keep  on  the  course 
of  those  pirates.  They  will  need  the  water  they 
overlooked  in  their  hurry,  after  I  get  through  with 
them." 


:   ,  CHAPTER  III. 

CAPTURE  OF  THE  CONVICTS 

'"pHE  wind,  which  had  been  gradually  failing,  died 
*  out,  while  the  undulations  of  old  ocean  rolled 
on  with  no  ripples  on  its  glass-like  surface,  save 
those  made  by  the  convicts  in  their  mad  effort  to 
escape ;  not  a  sound,  save  the  clicks  of  the  row- 
locks from  the  fast  receding  boat  which  was  grow- 
ing fainter  with  every  stroke  of  the  oars,  broke  the 
stillness  of  a  "  calm  at  sea. ' '  The  ship,  rolling 
lazily  in  the  trough  of  the  gentle  swell,  with  her 
snow-white  sails  flapping  idly  against  the  bright 
spars,  casting  changing  shadows  upon  the  holy- 
stoned deck,  presented  a  marked  contrast  to  the  des- 
perate situation  of  an  hour  before. 

In  the  cabin,  lying  upon  the  transom,  was  the 
Captain's  wife,  her  husband  administering  restoratives 
and  chafing  her  hands,  while  around  them  silently 
stood  every  officer  and  sailor  who  was  not  required 
on  deck,  their  heads  uncovered,  and  tears  coursing 

down   their  furrowed  faces,  waiting  with  intense  anx- 
(26) 


CAPTURE  OF  THE   CONVICTS  27 

iety  for  a  sign  of  consciousness  from  the  deathlike 
form  before  them. 

1 '  Mr.  Jones,  take  a  look  at  that  cutthroat  in 
the  chart  room.  I  had  forgotten  all  about  him," 
said  the  Captain. 

With  an  inquiring  look,  first  at  the  Captain,  then 
in  turn  towards  each  officer  and  sailor,  Mr.  Jones 
replied,  "Ay,  ay,  sir,"  and  left  the  room  to  exe- 
cute the  order. 

"There  is  no  one  in  the  chart  room,  sir,"  re- 
ported Mr.  Jones,  a  moment  later. 

"There  is  no  one  in  the  chart  room,"  mechan- 
ically repeated  the  Captain,  in  a  low  voice  and  hesi- 
tating manner.  "I  wonder  where  the  villain  is." 

' '  What  villain  ? ' '  asked  the  astonished  officer. 
' '  We  have  seven  on  deck  in  irons ;  the  rest  of  the 
Parley-vous  got  away." 

"Why!  that  ungrateful  wretch  my  wife  shot  as 
he  was  about  to  plunge  his  knife  into  my  neck, 
while  I  was  pointing  out  to  him  his  position  on  the 
chart,  and  giving  him  his  course  and  distance  to  land 
and  liberty.  Call  Mr.  Baker." 

' '  How  many  men  are  there  in  the  boat  ? "  in- 
quired Captain  Willis,  as  the  first  officer  made  his 
appearance  at  the  companion  way. 

"Eleven,  sir,  and  with  the  seven  on  deck  make 
the  full  complement,  except  the  sick  man,  who  I 
believe  was  shamming." 


28  RESCUED  BY  A   PRINCE 

"Why!  don't  any  of  you  know  that  we  had  a 
skirmish  in  the  chart  room  before  the  fight  on 
deck?"  inquired  the  Captain,  in  great  surprise. 

"Why  should  we  know-,  Captain?  We  were  all 
busy  filling  the  casks  and  breaking  out  stores. 
There  was  no  one  aft  but  the  man  at  the  wheel, 
and  he  has  lost  his  reckoning.  Off  his  course  and 
under  jury  mast,  he  got  a  broadside  from  some  craft. 
The  first  thing  we  heard  was  a  pistol  shot,  and  the 
first  thing  we  saw  was  the  rascals  climbing  up  the 
mizzen  chains,  and  before  we  got  our  bearings, 
Missus  cut  the  rope  and  set  the  pirate  boat  adrift, 
while  we  clubhauled  the  frog  eaters  in  shipshape 
fashion. ' ' 

"Is  she  coming  around  all  right?"  asked  the 
rough  old  officer,  wiping  his  eyes  with  his  shirt 
sleeve. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Captain,  "but  she  can't  stand 
many  more  such  rackets.  I  am  afraid  she  will  die 
in  one  of  these  spells,"  and  covering  his  face  with  his 
hands,  he  sobbed  as  if  his  heart  would  break. 

"If  she  dies  she'll  go  right  straight  to  heaven," 
said  the  officer,  as  he  hurried  on  deck  to  hide  his  emo- 
tion. 

' '  All  hands  to  wear  ship  ! ' '  came  the  order  from 
the  deck.  A  sudden  change  came  over  the  features  of 
the  group  of  sailors  in  the  cabin,  a  fierce  gleam  shot 
from  their  eyes,  the  soft  sympathetic  lines  of  their 


CAPTURE   OF  THE    CONVICTS  29 

faces  changed,  as  if  by  magic,  into  the  stern,  hard 
cast  of  brave  and  determined  men  ;  and  with  a  sigh  of 
relief,  as  they  noticed  the  returning  consciousness  of 
their  beloved  Missus,  they  quickly  but  silently  re- 
sponded to  the  call. 

The  tramping  of  feet,  creaking  of  yards,  and  rat- 
tling of  blocks  assured  the  Captain  that  a  breeze  was 
springing  up,  and  that  the  officer  of  the  deck  was  im- 
proving the  first  "cat's-paw"  to  bring  the  ship  around 
and  on  the  course  of  the  boat  which  now  had  more 
than  an  hour  the  start. 

"Under  steerageway,  sir,"  reported  the  officer 
down  the  companion  way,  "and  the  boat  just  in  sight 
from  the  deck." 

"All  right,  Mr.  Baker,  we  will  catch  those  pirates 
and  suppl)^  them  with  water  ;  they  won't  need  any  pro- 
visions." Then  to  his  wife  who,  weak  and  exhausted, 
was  reclining  comfortably  in  an  easy  chair,  "I  am  go- 
ing to  catch  those  rascals  and  hang  every  one  of  them 
from  the  yardarm  before  the  sun  goes  down." 

"Was  any  one  killed?"  she  inquired  wearily,  pay- 
ing no  attention  to  the  last  remark  of  her  husband. 

"  No,  the  man  you  shot,  Jack  who  was  at  the  wheel, 
and  the  Frenchman  Darkey  tackled,  are  the  only  ones 
wounded." 

"Are  they  severely  hurt?"  she  asked,  showing 
considerable  anxiety  as  to  the  condition  of  the  wounded. 

"Not  much  ;  Jack  got  a  blow  on  his  head  that  has 


30  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

slightly  interfered  with  his  reasoning  faculties,  but  will 
be  around  in  a  day  or  so.  Darkey  was  not  very 
careful  of  the  Frenchman,  which  must  have  hurt  his 
feelings,  but  that  don't  matter;  he  won't  suffer  long, 
for  he  will  be  snugly  stowed  away,  with  the  rest  of 
the  pirate  gang,  in  'Davy  Jones's  locker'  before  the 
'dogwatch.'  " 

"And  the  man  I  shot?"  she  inquired,  while  a 
deathly  pallor  again  came  over  her  face. 

"Don't  faint  away  on  his  account,''  said  her  hus- 
band, in  great  alarm,  as  he  reached  for  the  brandy 
flask,  "you  did  not  hurt  him  much;  that  little  play- 
thing of  a  pistol  which  you  insist  upon  using  cannot 
kill  any  one.  You  hit  him  just  right  to  stun  him  for 
a  moment,  and  then  you  cut  the  boat  adrift  just  in 
time  to  pick  him  up  as  he  escaped  through  the  cabin 
window  over  the  transom  there.  He  must  have  left 
some  tracks,"  said  the  Captain,  as  he  arose  to  exam- 
ine the  window. 

' '  I  am  so  glad, ' '  she  said  in  a  low,  sad  tone,  and 
with  a  sigh  of  relief.  "It  is  terrible  to  destroy  life; 
I  am  so  tired  of  all  this." 

"  Here,"  said  the  Captain,  "  are  traces  of  blood 
on  the  woodwork  above  the  transom,  and  here  is  the 
villain's  knife,"  holding  it  up  to  the  view  of  his  wife. 
Then  looking  out  of  the  window,  he  continued,  "She 
is  leaving  quite  a  wake  behind  her;  we  are  getting  a 
breeze,  and  will  soon  overhaul  those  cutthroats." 


CAPTURE   OF  THE   CONVICTS  31 

And  leaving  his  wife  in  care  of  her  maid,  he  went  on 
deck. 

A  light  air  had  sprung  up,  and   the  ship  was  roll- 
ing gently  and  slatting  along  about  three  knots.     Her 
sails  would    fill  as   she    rose    to    the   top  of   the  swell 
then  flap  against  the  masts  as  she   dropped  again  into 
the  trough  of  the  sea. 

"  Run  out  the  studding  sail  booms,  and  send  aloft 
topmast  and  topgallant  studding  sails,"  ordered  the 
Captain,  placing  under  his  arm,  sailor  fashion,  the 
glass  through  which  he  had  been  watching  the  black 
speck  ahead,  as  it  came  into  view  when  it  and  the 
ship  were  each  on  the  crest  of  a  swell. 

"They  are  making  good  time,"  said  Mr.  Baker, 
as  the  ship  responded  to  the  extra  spread  of  canvas. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Captain,  "they  are  making 
about  four  knots,  and  these  wings, ' '  glancing  at  the  stud- 
ding sails,  "  have  evened  us  up  on  speed.  They  can't 
keep  that  up  much  longer,  but  they  are  plucky  fel- 
lows; no  ordinary  cutthroats  would  have  taken  such 
desperate  chances.  How  did  they  get  on  board  and 
take  us  so  completely  unprepared?  I  declare  it  was 
the  greatest  surprise  party  that  ever  fouled  my  hawse. 
I  shall  never  relate  this  incident  as  a  brilliant  episode, 
when  swapping  lies  and  spinning  yarns;  the  mule  driver 
of  a  canal  boat  would  have  the  laugh  on  me." 

"  And  we  call  ourselves  deep  water  sailors.  We 
are  lubbers,  and  ought  to  be  placed  in  some  asylum 


-  32  RFSCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

for  idiots,  and  not  allowed  out  of  doors  after  dark," 
said  Mr.  Baker,  with  a  comical  expression  and  tone 
of  contempt  that  created  a  ripple  of  laughter  among 
the  officers,  ' '  but  the  Lord  takes  care  of  those  who 
can't  take  care  of  themselves." 

"  Call  Jack  aft;  I  see  he  has  recovered  enough 
to  get  on  deck,"  said  the  Captain,  as  the  sailor, 
with  his  head  bandaged,  came  out  of  the  forecastle 
and  seated  himself  on  the  windlass  bitts,  ' '  Perhaps 
he  can  tell  us  something  about  how  easy  it  is  for 
an  unarmed  boat  to  capture  an  American  ship  on  the 
high  seas,  while  the  soft-hearted  crew  from  Captain 
to  cabin  boy  are  engaged  in  missionary  work. 

"Well,  Jack,  how  are  you  weathering  it?"  in- 
quired the  Captain,  as  he  greeted  the  old  salt  with 
a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand.  "It  looks  as  if  you 
had  been  in  collision  wTith  some  lubberly  craft,  and 
damaged  your  headgear." 

"  Makin'  rather  a  crooked  wake,  sir,  and  feel  a 
bit  top  heavy,"  replied  Jack,  as  he  staggered  up 
against  the  taffrail  for  support. 

"Take  a  seat  on  the  wheelbox,  Jack,  and  tell  me 
how  you  lost  your  reckoning." 

' '  It  was  this  way  Captain.  I  sees  you  an'  the 
pirate  go  below ;  then  Missus,  with  that  calm-like 
look  that  allus  means  somethin'  follow  in  your  wake. 
I  knows  a  squall  was  comin',  for  Missus  is  allus 


CAPTURE   OF  THE   CONVICTS  33 

right.  We  had  lost  steerageway,  but  I  stood  at  the 
wheel  with  my  weather  eye  on  the  mizzen  riggin', 
ready  to  give  the  signal  if  the  lubbers  showed  their 
heads  above  the  rail.  I  hears  water  drippin'  behind 
me  on  deck  an'  turns  just  in  time  to  see  that 
blarsted  frog  eater,  with  the  very  belayin'  pin  I  had 
laid  on  the  wheelbox  for  my  own  use,  raised  over 
my  head.  That's  the  last  I  knows  till  a  few  minutes 
ago,  an'  I  haven't  got  my  bearin's  yet." 

"It's  all  clear  sailing  now,  since  Jack  has  thrown 
his  search  light  on  the  mystery,"  said  the  Captain. 
' '  One  of  those  pirates  dropped  overboard  from  the 
boat,  the  wheel  was  hard  down,  and  as  the  ship 
was  not  moving  through  the  water  he  caught  hold 
of  the  rudder  bolt,  climbed  on  top  of  the  rudder  and 
reached  the  cabin  window.  From  there  it  was  an 
easy  matter  to  make  the  taffrail;  he  then  only  had 
to  watch  his  chance  to  get  a 'blow  at  Jack,  who  was 
watching  the  mizzen  riggisg,  which  he  did  about 
the  time  my  wife  shot  the  fellow  in  the  chart  room." 

"They  are  making  sail,  but  we  are  overhauling 
them,"  said  Mr.  Baker. 

"They  are  rigging  up  an  old  tarpaulin,"  said 
the  ^Captain,  looking  through  his  glass.  "I  declare, 
I  like  their  nerve ;  they  are  game  to  the  last,  but 
we'll  have  the  whole  crowd  swinging  from  the  yard- 
arm  before  the  'dogwatch'  is  out." 


34  RESCUED  er  A   PRINCE 

The  wind  gradually  increased.  The  fugitives,  see- 
ing no  hope  of  escape,  took  in  their  improvised  sail, 
laid  on  their  oars,  and  waited  for  the  ship  to  come 
up.  The  studding  sails  were  taken  in,  the  courses 
hauled  up,  main  topsail  laid  aback,  and  the  ship 
brought  to  a  short  distance  to  leeward  of  the  boat. 

"Come  alongside,  under  the  lee  quarter!"  com- 
manded the  Captain. 

The  exhausted  men  sullenly  gave  way,  with  fee- 
ble strokes,  and  pulled  alongside. 

' '  Come  up  !  every  man  of  you  !  ' '  ordered  the  Cap- 
tain, while  the  crew,  fully  armed,  ranged  themselves 
along  the  ship's  waist  to  receive  them. 

As  the  convicts  came  over  the  ship's  side  they  were 
handcuffed  and  stationed  at  the  break  of  the  quarter- 
deck. 

"  Rig  up  yard  and  tackle,  and  prepare  a  boatswain's 
chair  for  that  sick  man.  I  want  to  make  his  acquaint- 
ance ;  this  is  my  reception  day,"  said  the  Captain, 
in  a  calm,  ironical  tone  which  plainly  indicated  his 
feelings. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  responded  Mr.  Baker,  muttering  to 
himself,  "  Better  haul  the  rascal  up  with  a  rope's 
end." 

"I  will  not  give  you  that  trouble,  sir,"  said  the 
man  in  the  boat,  in  English ;  and  rising  to  his  feet, 
he  seized  the  manropes  and  mounted  the  ship's  lad- 


CAPTURE   OF  THE   CONVICTS  35 

der  with  the  alacrity  of  an  old  sailor.  As  he  came  over 
the  rail  the  Captain  gave  a  start  of  surprise,  and  Mr. 
Baker,  who  was  about  to  place  the  handcuffs  on  his 
wrists,  let  them  drop  and  gazed  with  astonishment  upon 
the  face  before  him  ;  then  regaining  self-control,  he 
picked  up  the  irons  and  secured  the  prisoner. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Louis  NAPOLEON 

< '  r\  IG   up   eighteen   gauntlines  ! ' '    ordered    the    Cap- 
*^     tain,    recovering   from    his   surprise.       Then    to 
the  prisoners,    ' '  you   have  twenty   minutes   to  prepare 
for  death." 

"Why  not  nineteen  halters,  sir?"  inquired  Mr. 
Baker,  while  the  men  laid  out  on  the  yardarms  to  ad- 
just the  fatal  ropes. 

"  I  don't  want  to  hang  that  fellow  until  I  find  ou; 
more  about  him,"  pointing  to  the  man  who  had  cre- 
ated so  much  curiosity  among  both  officers  and  men. 
The  prisoners  watched  the  preparation  for  their  exe- 
cution with  the  utmost  indifference  imaginable,  while 
the  Captain  and  his  chief  officer  were  pacing  the  deck, 
talking  earnestly  in  a  low  voice  about  the  stirring  events 
of  the  day.  ' '  I  never  saw  such  a  striking  resemblance, ' ' 
said  Mr.  Baker ;  "he  is  the  exact  image  of  Napoleon 
III.  as  I  remember  him  twenty  years  ago,  when  for 
several  days,  on  a  memorable  occasion,  I  had  the  honor 
of  being  in  his  company.  When  this  fellow  came  over 
the  rail  he  struck  me  all  aback.  I  declare,  Captain, 
I  don't  like  the  idea  of  banging  a  prince  of  the  realm." 
(36) 


Louis  NAPOLEON  37 

' '  I  have  never  had  the  distinguished  honor  of  meet- 
ing the  Emperor  of  France,"  said  the  Captain,  "  but  my 
surprise  was  caused  by  his  resemblance  to  the  portraits 
of  Napoleon,  and  if  I  did  not  know  that  he  was  dead 
and  buried  I  would  surely  believe  we  had  the  ex-Em- 
peror on  board.  As  to  hanging  him,  that  makes  no 
difference  with  me.  I  would  hang  Napoleon  Bonaparte 
under  like  circumstances,  were  he  equally  guilty,  in 
company  with  the  meanest  cutthroat." 

"He  may  not  be  equally  guilty,  Captain  ;  men  are 
not  always  responsible  for  the  company  they  find  them- 
selves in,"  said  the  officer,  with  much  earnestness. 

' '  Your  reasoning  is  all  right  in  his  case,  Mr.  Baker. 
We  will  swing  the  rest  of  the  rascals,  and  then  hold 
a  court-martial  and  hang  him  later." 

' '  What  is  the  necessity  of  a  court-martial  if  you 
are  determined  to  hang  him  whether  guilty  or  not 
guilty  ?  ' '  inquired  Mr.  Baker,  in  a  quizzical  manner. 

"  What  are  court-martials  for,  anyway,  if  not  to 
find  evidence  enough  to  condemn  the  prisoner  before 
the  court,  and  a  legal  excuse  for  punishing  the  criminal 
to  the  fullest  extent  of  the  law  ? ' '  Then  looking  at 
his  watch,  the  Captain  continued,  "Twenty  minutes 
up.  Range  the  men  along  the  rail  under  the  main 
and  mizzen  yardarms,  and  stand  by  to  brace  around 
the  yards,  and  give  these  fellows  a  send-off  to  the 
lower  regions." 

"Why    Frank!      Are   you   really   going   to   murder 


38  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

these  men?"  exclaimed  the  Captain's  wife,  with  a  look 
of  horror  on  her  face  as  she  nervously  clutched  her 
husband's  arm. 

"Why  not?"  inquired  the  Captain,  placing  his 
arm  around  her,  and  looking  considerately  into  her 
pleading  face. 

' '  O !  you  must  not  do  it ;  it  is  wicked  ;  you  will 
regret  it!  O,  Frank!  murder  eighteen  men?  How 
could  you  ever  think  of  such  a  terrible  thing  ? ' ' 
she  pleaded,  with  a  great  effort,  gasping  for  breath, 
and  with  an  expression  of  horror  that  startled  the 
Captain  and  won  sympathy  from  the  prisoners. 

"What  shall  we  do  with  the  ungrateful  wretches?" 
asked  the  Captain,  very  much  alarmed  for  fear  she 
would  sink  into  another  fainting  fit. 

' '  Keep  them  on  board  —  let  them  go  —  anything 
—  but  don't  kill  them.  You  are  not  justified  in 
taking  life  only  in  self-defense." 

"Didn't  they  attempt  to  kill  us  and  capture  the 
ship?"  asked  the  Captain,  trying  to  find  some  ex- 
cuse for  his  action. 

"Yes,"  she  said,  with  a  look  of  relief  as  she 
noticed  by  his  manner  that  he  was  relenting  from 
his  rash  purpose.  "If  we  had  killed  every  man  in 
defending  our  lives,  and  the  ship,  we  would  have 
done  only  our  duty  ;  but  to  hang  these  men  now  is 
murder, —  revenge!  It  is  not  right;  it  is  not  right. 
It  is  wicked.  You  must  not  do  it!" 


Louis  NAPOLEON  39 

The  prisoners  were  watching  the  Captain  and  his 
wife  with  the  greatest  interest.  It  was  evident  they 
did  not  understand  the  language,  but  they  knew 
that  the  Captain's  wife  was  pleading  for  their  lives. 

' '  Whatever  our  fate  may  be  is  of  little  conse- 
quence to  us,"  said  the  man  who  looked  like  Napo- 
leon, in  fluent  English,  with  the  tone  and  manner  of 
a  cultured  gentleman,  "yet  there  may  be  some 
palliating  circumstances  even  in  our  cases.  But  I 
wish  to  express  to  this  noble  lady,  both  for  myself 
and  comrades,  our  heartfelt  gratitude  for  her  plead- 
ing in  behalf  of  justice,  which,  if  myself  and  com- 
panions had  received,  we  would  not  have  been 
here. ' ' 

"Who  are  you?"  demanded  the  Captain,  while 
his  wife  looked  her  astonishment  in  beholding  for 
the  first  time  what  had  surprised  her  husband  and 
Mr.  Baker. 

"I  am  the  eldest  son  of  Napoleon  III.,  and  heir 
to  the  throne  of  France.  My  comrades  are  noblemen 
of  the  Empire,  banished  from  their  country  for  polit- 
ical causes. ' ' 

' '  Long  live  the  Republic  of  France ! ' '  said  the 
Captain,  with  a  scornful  gaze  upon  the  Frenchman. 
"If  her  Nobility  has  fallen  so  low  as  to  turn  upon 
those  who  would  treat  them  with  common  humanity, 
happy  are  the  people  under  the  Republic." 

' '  Will   the   Captain   condescend  to  listen  to  a  por- 


40  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

tion  of  my  history?"  asked  the  Frenchman,  in  a 
quiet,  dignified  manner  which  plainly  indicated  his 
gentle  birth. 

"I  shall  be  pleased  to  listen.  Take  off  his  hand- 
cuffs, Mr.  Baker;  a  Frenchman  can't  talk  without 
the  use  of  his  hands,  and  he  has  a  hard  job  to  de- 
fend himself  and  companions." 

Without  taking  the  slightest  notice  of  the  last  words 
of  the  Captain,  he  began:  "I  am  the  only  child  of 
Louis  Napoleon  Bonaparte  and  an  American  lady  whose 
name  and  parentage  I  never  knew.  '  All  that  is  nec- 
essary for  you  to  know,'  my  mother  would  say  to  my 
earnest  pleading  to  know  more  of  my  family,  '  is  that  I 
was  secretly  married  to  your  father  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  in  America,  on  the  i4th  of  May,  1837,  by  a 
priest  of  "the  Catholic  Church.  I  was  born  a  Protes 
tant  but  abjured  that  faith  and  was  received  into  the 
religion  of  your  father.'  His  most  intimate  friends 
never  dreamed  of  this  romance.  When  he  left  America 
my  mother  sailed  in  the  same  ship,  and  all  efforts  of 
her  family  and  friends  to  find  her  were  unavailing. 
Renouncing  all  things  and  people  for  the  man  she 
loved,  she  never  regretted  her  choice. 

"  I  was  born  in  London,  on  the  loth  of  March,  1838, 
and  in  1846  my  mother  moved  to  Paris.  My  father, 
after  the  coup  d'ttat,  visited  us  frequently  in  our  apart- 
ment. He  would  bring  me  toys  and  bonbons,  and  was 
very  devoted  to  my  mother.  Then  for  years  I  saw 


Louis  NAPOLEON  41 

nothing    of   him,     and    I    was  placed  at  the  School   of 
St.  Cyr  under  the  patronage  of  Marshal  McMahon. 

' '  At  the  deathbed  of  my  mother  a  few  years  later, 
with  the  Marshal  present,  she  said,  '  Louis,  my  son, 
you  are  the  lawful  son  of  the  Emperor  of  France.  My 
marriage  to  your  father  was  valid  and  never  annulled. 
You  are  nearing  man's  estate.  I  have  been  cast  aside 
for  another ;  the  boy  of  the  Tuileries  may  usurp  your 
place.  I  charge  you  by  all  you  hold  dear  or  sacred 
to  right  my  name.'  I  returned  to  St.  Cyr  and  fol- 
lowed the  counsels  of  the  great  soldier.  His  instruc- 
tions were,  '  Watch  and  wait.'  I  obeyed  him,  and  no 
part  of  my  history  ever  escaped  my  lips.  Upon  my 
graduation,  I  received  a  commission  in  the  army.  At 
Sedan  I  received  a  ball  in  the  left  shoulder.  My  ex- 
traordinary resemblance  to  the  Emperor  caused  no  end 
of  comments,  but  no  one  knew  the  relations  between 
us.  Wounded  and  in  hospital,  I  became  delirious,  and 
must  have  betrayed  the  story  of  my  identity.  While 
still  unable  to  walk,  I  was  conveyed  to  Dijon,  a  long 
distance  for  one  in  my  condition.  While  there  I  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  the  Marshal  assuring  me  of  his 
devotion  and  services,  and  that  as  soon  as  I  was  able 
to  quit  the  hospital  I  could  talk,  and  that  France  would 
rally  to  me,  pledging  the  fidelity  and  loyalty  of  the 
army.  I  went  to  sleep  with  that  letter  in  my  hand. 
When  I  awoke  it  was  gone.  On  a  dark  and  dismal 
night,  staggering  under  the  influence  of  some  drug, 


42  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

I  was  hurried  whither  I  did  not  know.  How  long  I 
was  in  that  dungeon  I  had  no  means  of  ascertaining. 
Again  I  was  conveyed  in  the  night  to  another  dungeon. 
I  had  lost  all  account  of  days  and  years,  and  my  jailers 
were  ever  silent.  At  night  I  was  again  taken  from  a 
dungeon  and  placed  on  board  a  ship.  When  I  was 
permitted  to  go  on  deck  there  was  no  land  in  sight.  I 
did  not  know  from  whence  I  came,  and  where  my 
next  prison  was  to  be  is  yet  a  mystery.  I  was  given 
perfect  liberty  on  shipboard,  but  no  one  would  talk 
with  me. 

' '  On  a  dark  and  stormy  night  a  strange  ship  crashed 
into  us.  In  the  confusion  that  followed  I  secreted  my- 
self, while  the  crew  escaped  from  the  sinking  ship. 
I  preferred  death  to  another  dungeon,  but  the  ship 
did  not  sink,  and  I  was  taken  off  the  next  day  by 
an  American  ship  bound  for  Australia. 

"  From  that  night  which  gave  me  my  freedom, 
my  resemblance  to  the  Emperor  has  not  caused  me 
any  serious  trouble.  The  ship  sailed  again  for  Japan 
and  was  wrecked  on  a  reef  not  far  from  New  Cale- 
donia. We  took  to  the  boat  and  safely  reached  the 
island,  where  I  found  friends  who  had  known  me  in 
the  army,  and  together  we  planned  our  escape." 

While  Louis  was  relating  the  salient  points  in  his 
sad  history,  every  one  on  board  paid  the  closest  at- 
tention, and  for  some  little  time  after  he  had  fin- 
ished not  a  word  was  spoken.  It  was  evident  that 


Louis  NAPOLEON  43 

the  story  of  his  wrongs  and  sufferings  had  won  for 
him  the  sympathy  of  every  one  present,  while  tears 
filled  the  eyes  of  the  Captain's  wife. 

"I  have  been  much  interested  in  the  recital  of 
your  history,"  said  the  Captain,  "and  can  under- 
stand why  you  wished  to  conceal  your  identity;  but 
I  fail  to  comprehend  why  you  considered  this  ship 
essential  to  your  success,  or  why  we  should  be  sacri- 
ficed to  your  ambition." 

"Our  object  was  neither  capture  nor  murder,  but 
to  gain  possession  of  the  ship  and  compel  her  Captain 
to  land  us  at  a  point  we  should  name.  It  would 
have  detained  you  a  few  days,  but  you  would  have 
been  amply  rewarded,"  replied  Louis,  with  a  candor 
which  carried  conviction  to  his  listeners. 

"Under  the  circumstances,  I  could  almost  justify 
your  purpose,  if  the  leader  of  your  party  had  not  at- 
tempted my  life  and  only  failed  to  accomplish  his 
object  by  the  timely  aid  of  my  wife,  who  laid  him 
out  just  as  he  was  about  to  plunge  a  knife  into  my 
neck." 

A  look  of  surprise  mingled  with  shame  came  over 
the  face  of  Louis,  and  he  looked  steadily  and  inquir- 
ingly at  the  culprit  who  quailed  before  him  and  dropped 
his  eyes  to  the  deck.  "And  you,  Madame,"  said 
Louis  to  the  Captain's  wife,  "pleading  for  the  would- 
be  murderer  of  your  husband!  You  are  an  angel!" 
Addressing  the  Captain,  he  continued,  "  We  are 


44  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

pirates  in  the  eyes  of  the  law,  and  you  are  justified 
in  your  action.  Thank  God  for  our  failure  !  Better 
by  far  die  the  death  of  dogs,"  as  he  gazed  at  the 
ropes  dangling  from  the  yardarms,  ' '  than  have  com- 
mitted such  a  crime." 

"The  gentleman  is  telling  the  truth,"  said  the 
Captain's  wife.  "  Frank,  do  let  them  go;  they  have 
had  great  trials  and  temptations,  and  only  one  ap- 
pears to  be  really  bad." 

"  Well,  I  will  hang  him,  anyway;  I  will  be 
justified  in  that,"  said  the  Captain  in  a  decided  man- 
ner. 

"Then,"  replied  his  wife,  "if  justice  would  hang 
him,  mercy  would  let  him  go.  If  justice  were  infalli- 
ble there  would  be  no  office  for  mercy. ' ' 

The  Captain  turned  and  paced  the  deck  in  silence; 
all  eyes  followed  him,  and  not  a  word  was  spoken. 
"Mr.  Baker,"  said  he,  "haul  that  boat  alongside 
and  provision  her  for  twenty  days;  we  have  lost  time 
enough  over  this  affair." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  responded  the  officer,  and  all  hands 
turned  to  with  a  will,  for  Missus  had  said  let  them 
go,  and  "  Missus  is  allus  right." 

The  boat  was  soon  ready.  The  prisoners,  grate- 
ful for  their  escape,  silently  entered  the  boat.  Louis 
was  the  last  to  leave  the  deck.  He  shook  hands 
with  the  Captain  and  officers,  then  taking  the  hand 
of  the  Captain's  wife  he  reverently  kissed  it,  and 


Louis  NAPOLEON  45 

without  a  word   passed  over  the  side  of  the  ship  and 
joined    his    companions. 

' '  Stand  by  the  lee  main  braces  —  Let  go  and  haul ! ' ' 
shouted  the  Captain.  The  yards  swung  around,  the 
sails  filled,  and  the  ship,  gathering  headway,  was 
brought  to  her  course,  leaving  the  boat  tossing  in 
her  wake,  with  the  sound  of  "Long  live  Madame, 
the  Captain's  wife!"  from  the  unfortunate  company 
afloat  on  the  treacherous  sea. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  Loss  OF  LITTLE  HARRY 

"  '-pHEY  have  another  chance  for  their  lives,"  said 
the  Captain,  as  he  caught  the  last  sight  of  the 
boat,  rising  atop  of  the  swell  a  long  way  astern  of 
the  ship.  ' '  I  ought  to  have  swung  that  murderous 
Frenchman." 

' '  What  good  could  have  come  of  it  ?  Would  you 
have  been  justified  if  you  had  taken  the  law  into 
your  hands  and  hung  him  without  a  trial?"  said 
the  Captain's  wife,  watching  little  Harry  who  was 
proudly  walking  the  bridge,  dressed  in  his  sailor's 
suit  and  carrying  his  glass  under  his  arm,  with  the 
air  and  importance  of  a  young  midshipman. 

' '  As  far  as  the  technical  point  of  the  law  is  con- 
cetned,  perhaps  not,"  replied  the  Captain,  "but  the 
law  would  class  him  a  pirate,  and  the  penalty  for 
piracy  is  death;  and  more,  it  is  an  unwritten  law 
among  sailors  to  hang  pirates  whenever  caught,  and 
all  the  civil  laws  enacted  by  the  land  sharks  on  shore 
will  not  prevent  captains  from  exercising  their  rights 
to  hang  pirates  on  the  sea."  As  the  Captain's  wife 
did  not  reply  to  his  rather  emphatic  remarks  concern- 
(46) 


THE  Loss   OF  LITTLE  HARRT  47 

ing  the  prerogatives  of  shipmasters  in  general,  he 
continued,  "These  fellows  can  thank  you  for  their 
lives;  in  fact,  the  whole  ship's  company  are  indebted 
to  you  for  your  precaution  and  action.  I  feel  very 
magnanimous  toward  the  whole  human  race,  and  sin- 
cerely hope  the  poor  fellows  will  land  without  any 
more  trouble." 

"What  tind  of  a  time  would  dem  mens  have  in  a 
'torm?  "  asked  little  Harry,  raising  his  glass  and  sweep- 
ing the  horizon  with  the  ease  and  grace  of  a  young 
officer.  "  Dess  dey'd  wished  dey's  hung  up  out  of  de 
wet.  I  tant  see  dat  boat  nowheres;  dess  she's  sunk." 

"You  know  better,  you  little  rascal;  you  are  no 
sailor  to  talk  like  that,"  said  his  father,  playfully 
making  a  grab  for  him  which  the  little  fellow  easily 
eluded. 

"I  means  dey's  sunk  out  of  sight,"  said  Harry, 
laughing  and  winking  at  his  mother.  Then  to  Darkey, 
so  his  father  could  not  hear  him,  "  De  ole  man  don't 
know  it  all,  more  'n  we's." 

Harry  did  not  mean  any  disrespect  by  calling  his 
father  "  de  ole  man."  He  was  not  a  year  old  when 
he  came  on  board  the  ship,  and  his  coming  birth- 
day, which  the  sailors  had  already  prepared  for 
with  all  kinds  of  presents  stowed  away  in  their  don- 
keys, was  his  sixth.  These  had  all  been  passed  at 
sea,  and  each  was  a  great  event  on  board  ship.  No 
matter  what  the  weather,  the  sailors  carefully  donned 
4 


48  RESCUED  BT  A   PRIXCE 

their  shore  clothes  in  honor  of  the  occasion.  All 
the  officers  and  most  of  the  sailors  were  on  the  ship 
when  Harry,  the  baby,  came  on  board ;  he  had 
grown  up  with  them  and  knew  no  other  companions 
or  playmates.  He  was  equally  at  home  in  cabin  and 
forecastle,  and  was  the  pet  and  joy  of  the  ship. 
On  his  last  birthday  the  sailors  had  presented  him 
with  as  fine  a  marine  telescope  as  could  be  pur- 
chased in  Liverpool,  and  the  little  fellow  was  never 
so  well  pleased  as  when  he  could  walk  the  bridge, 
with  his  cap  thrown  high  on  his  forehead  and  glass 
under  his  arm,  to  the  delight  of  every  sailor  on 
board.  On  his  coining  birthday  they  had  many  pres- 
ents for  him ;  among  them  a  silver  collar  for  Darkey, 
and  a  magnificent  sextant,  made  to  order,  with  "Cap- 
tain Harry ' '  engraved  upon  it.  The  sailors  were 
looking  forward  to  their  great  holiday,  which  was  not 
far  off,  with  all  the  nervous  anxiety  of  children. 

With  this  close  association,  Harry's  speech  was  often 
more  nautical  than  elegant,  and  he  called  the  Captain 
"old  man"  as  naturally  as  an  old  salt;  and  like  an 
old  salt,  not  in  the  presence  or  hearing  of  the  Cap- 
tain. It  was  the  parlance  of  the  forecastle,  but  not 
of  the  quarter-deck  ;  no  harm  was  meant  and  no  offense 
was  taken. 

The  wind  increased  until  it  was  necessary  to  take 
in  the  light  sails.  Harry  and  his  mother  had  retired 
to  the  cabin,  while  the  Captain  paced  the  decks, 


THE  Loss   OF  LITTLE  HARRT  49 

occasionally  glancing  at  the  barometer  hanging  in  the 
skylight. 

"I  don't  like  the  looks  of  the  weather,"  said  the 
Captain,  as  his  chief  officer  came  aft  and  leaned 
over  the  rail,  watching  the  swell.  "The  barometer 
is  falling,  and  these  hot  puffs  are  sure  indications 
of  a  storm.  A  gale  of  wind  in  these  latitudes,  at 
this  season  of  the  year,  means  no  ordinary  old  ladies' 
tea  party. ' ' 

"  Take  in  the  topgallant  sails,  stow  the  main  and 
mizzen  courses,  and  reef  the  foresail.  Those  poor 
fellows  in  the  boat  will  have  a  hard  night  of  it," 
said  the  Captain,  looking  to  windward,  as  the  officer 
called,  "All  hands  on  deck  to  shorten  sail!" 

The  gale  lasted  for  two  days,  but  as  the  wind  was 
on  the  quarter,  the  ship  was  kept  on  her  course 
and  made  a  record-breaking  run. 

' '  The  ole  girl  has  washed  her  own  decks  the 
last  two  days,"  said  an  old  salt,  engaged  in  arrang- 
ing things  shipshape  after  the  storm,  while  the  ship 
lay  becalmed,  with  her  huge  hull  rising  and  falling 
on  the  swell,  the  only  reminder  of  the  gale  that 
had  carried  destruction  and  death  in  its  course. 

The  position  of  the  ship  was  now  in  the  latitude 
of  the  Solomon  Islands  and  thirty-five  miles  east  of 
Stewart  Island,  the  easfernmost  one  of  this  group, 
which  being  low  could  rot  be  seen  from  the  mast- 
head 


50  RESCUED  BY  A   PRINCE 

"You  changed  your  course,"  said  Mrs.  Willis, 
as  she  came  on  deck  for  the  first  time  in  two  days. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Captain,  in  a  tone  that  indi- 
cated he  was  willing  to  drop  the  subject,  "I  always 
give  the  land  a  wide  berth  in  stormy  weather.  A 
good  navigator  gives  his  ship  plenty  of  sea  room." 

' '  And  in  so  doing  you  give  the  cannibals  a  wide 
hearth,''  she  said,  with  a  merry  twinkle  in  her  eye. 

Although  she  felt  extremely  happy  in  the  thought 
that  all  danger  from  the  cannibals  of  Stewart  Island 
was  past,  womanlike,  she  could  not  refrain  from 
reminding  her  husband  that  she,  too,  was  a  navi- 
gator, and  "  sea  room  "  was  not  the  reason  for  chang- 
ing his  course. 

"I  did  not  change  my  course,"  said  the  Captain, 
"out  of  any  fear  of  the  natives,  but  after  our  last 
experience,  which  so  remarkably  coincided  with  your 
fears,  I  did  not  wish  to  give  you  any  unnecessary 
anxiety." 

"That  was  very  kind  of  you,  dear,  but  how  is 
our  son  to  become  '  The  King  of  the  Cannibal  Islands  ' 
if  you  don't  give  him  a  chance  to  land?"  she  said 
with  a  reproachful  look  at  her  husband. 

"Since  I  have  found  another  candidate,"  returned 
the  Captain,  as  if  deciding  the  fate  of  a  nation, 
"in  a  full-fledged  Prince,  out  of  a  job,  I  have  de- 
cided to  abjure,  on  behalf  of  my  son,  all  claims 
Lo  the  Cannibal  Islands." 


THE  Loss  OF  LITTLE  HARRT  51 

"Now  you  are  consistent,"  she  replied,  in  a  serio- 
comic tone.  "I  d'd  not  know  that  you  had  changed 
your  mind  about  making  me  '  mother  of  a  King ' 
when  you  changed  your  course  ;  but  as  you  had  no 
special  object  in  meeting  the  natives,  it  were  better 
to  give  them  a  wide  hearth.  I  would  like  to  know 
how  the  poor  fellows  weathered  the  storm,"  with  her 
manner  and  voice  changing  to  deep  sympathy. 

Not  a  "cat's-paw"  relieved  the  monotony  of  the 
cairn  during  the  day.  All  hands  had  been  employed 
in  repairing  damages  caused  by  the  storm,  while  the 
ship  rose  and  fell  on  the  gradually  decreasing  swell. 
The  sun  sank  into  the  sea  without  a  cloud  to  mar 
the  beauty  of  its  outline,  casting  a  narrow  wake  over 
the  water.  The  stars  shone  forth  dimly  in  the  twi- 
light, increasing  in  brilliancy  as  the  sun  drew  its 
lagging  rays  along  its  course.  The  Milky  Way  stood 
out  clearly  defined,  like  a  well  traveled  highway, 
across  the  dark  blue  vault  of  heaven. 

The  ship  was  as  neat  and  trim  as  a  man-of-war 
before  inspection.  The  sailors  had  completed  their 
arrangements  for  the  celebration  of  the  greatest  event 
of  the  year,  for  the  morrow  was  Harry's  birthday. 

"Looks  as  if  we  will  have  a  calm  night  of  it," 
said  Mr.  Baker,  as  he  came  aft  and  joined  the  Cap- 
tain in  his  promenade  on  the  quarter-deck. 

' '  Yes,  there  is  no  indication  of  a  breeze,  and  I 
don't  look  for  any  change  till  after  sunrise,"  replied 


52  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

the  Captain,  with  a  professional  glance  into  the  azure 
above,  thickly  studded  with  stars.  ' '  I  am  glad  we 
are  well  clear  of  the  land." 

"  I  saw  land  from  the  masthead,  sir,  just  as  the 
sun  went  down,"  said  the  officer,  "  but  as  Missus 
was  on  deck  I  did  not  repeat  it,  for  fear  of  giving 
her  unnecessary  alarm,  and  we  may  get  a  breeze  be- 
fore daylight." 

"You  did  quite  right,  Mr.  Baker;  she  is  getting 
very  nervous  over  these  little  matters." 

"But,  Captain,  she's  got  the  coolest  head  of  any 
one  on  board.  Do  you  call  that  nervousness?  I 
declare  I  wish  I  had  some  such  agitation  of  the 
nerves,"  said  the  old  officer,  in  a  tone  which  caused 
a  heart}7  laugh  from  the  Captain. 

"And  she  falls  into  a  dead  faint  after  all  danger 
is  past,  which  I  am  more  afraid  of  than  all  the  can- 
nibals in  the  Indian  Archipelago,  with  convicts  and 
pirates  thrown  in,"  said  the  Captain. 

"  I  think  we  will  get  a  breeze  after  midnight," 
said  the  officer,  rubbing  the  sleeve  of  his  monkey 
jacket  across  his  eyes. 

' '  You  know  better,  Mr.  Baker  ;  you  are  too  old  a 
sailor  not  to  know  the  situation.  At  noon  we  were 
thirty-five  miles  from  the  land  you  saw  at  sundown, 
which  could  not  be  more  than  twenty- five  miles  off. 
A  current  is  setting  us  directly  on  to  the  island,  and 
as  we  have  drifted  ten  miles  in  six  hours,  in  twelve 


THE  Loss   OF  LITTLE  HARRT  53 

hours  we  will  drift  twenty.  At  daylight  we  will  find 
ourselves  within  five  miles  of  the  island  my  wife  so 
much  dreads  to  see,  but  then  I  took  all  necessary 
precaution  this  time." 

The  Captain  remained  on  deck  all  night  watching, 
and  hoping  a  breeze  would  spring  up ;  but  he  was 
doomed  to  disappointment.  L,ong  before  daylight  the 
dim  outline  of  a  long,  low  island  could  be  distinctly 
made  out.  All  hands  were  called  to  defend  ship. 
The  two  brass  guns  were  loaded,  rifles,  revolvers,  and 
cutlasses  were  made  ready.  Netting  was  rigged  up 
between  the  rigging,  and  the  cook  kept  his  coppers 
filled  with  boiling  water. 

At  daybreak  small,  fleecy  clouds,  like  a  flock  of 
sheep,  were  chasing  each  other  across  the  sky.  The 
sun  rose  red,  casting  a  wide  wake  upon  the  water, 
which  to  the  practiced  eye  of  a  sailor  were  sure 
signs  of  a  breeze. 

The  land  close  aboard  was  the  first  thing  that 
met  the  view  of  the  Captain's  wife  as  she  came  up 
the  companion  way,  upon  which  she  gazed  like  one 
in  a  trance.  Turning  to  her  husband  she  said,  scarcely 
above  a  whisper,  "Stewart  Island,"  while  a  pallor 
crept  over  her  face. 

"The  current  has  set  us  in  here,"  said  he,  in 
answer  to  her  inquiring  look. 

"It  is  not  your  fault,  dear,"  she  said,  as  she  no- 
ticed the  troubled  look  of  her  husband.  "I  am  navi- 


54  RESCUED  BT  A   PRIXCE 

gator  enough  to  know  that  it  is  impossible  to  guard 
against  unknown  currents.  We  are  prepared  this  time, 
and  if  they  get  on  board  it  will  not  be  our  fault." 

"Well,"  said  the  Captain,  as  he  saw  in  her  eyes 
that  familiar  look  of  defianc%  and  about  her  mouth 
a  compression  that  betokened  conquest,  "it  is  a  ques- 
tion with  me  which  will  get  here  first,  the  wind  or 
the  natives,  but  as  we  are  prepared  for  either,  we 
must  wait  and  stand  by  the  results." 

They  did  not  have  long  to  wait,  for  while  the 
Captain  was  talking,  Mr.  Baker,  who  was  at  the 
masthead,  shouted,  "They  are  coming  as  thick  as  a 
school  of  porpoises,"  and  his  expression  did  not  ap- 
pear much  of  an  exaggeration.  Hundreds  of  canoes 
were  crowding  out  of  what  appeared  to  be  the  mouth 
of  a  river,  or  the  narrow  entrance  to  a  bay,  spread- 
ing out  and  forming  a  wedge-shaped  mass  of  men, 
paddles,  and  boats,  with  its  base  toward  the  ship, 
presenting  a  spectacle  more  imposing  than  formidable. 

The  canoes  were  light  and  graceful,  each  carrying 
five  men  who  displayed  great  skill  in  the  use  of  their 
paddles  and  in  managing  their  frail  craft.  Tall  and 
well  formed,  with  regular  features,  of  a  dark  brown 
color,  and  with  long,  straight,  black  hair,  they  did  not 
resemble  the  ferocious  man-eating  savages  of  legend  and 
story;  but  the  white  man  was  their  enemy,  and  their 
enemy  had  written  both  their  history  and  fiction.  They 
approached  the  ship  in  a  cautious  manner,  displaying 


THE  Loss  OF  LITTLE  HARRT          55 

plantains,  shells,  and  cocoanuts,  as  if  desiring  to  trade; 
and  had  it  not  been  for  their  skillful  manoeuvring, 
through  which  they  were  gradually  surrounding  the 
ship,  they  would  have  deceived  the  ship's  company. 

The  Captain  was  not  much  concerned  about  the 
result  of  the  impending  brush  with  the  natives,  with 
the  advantage  all  on  one  side,  but  he  dreaded  the 
ordeal  his  wife  would  pass  through  after  it  was 
over.  While  he  knew  what  the  natives  were  seek- 
ing to  accomplish,  his  greatest  interest  was  centered 
upon  the  long  line  of  curling  wavelets  that  were  slowly 
creeping  up  to  the  ship,  leaving  the  water  a  darker 
blue,  with  an  occasional  whitecap,  for  he  knew  that 
if  the  wind  struck  first,  a  running  fight  would  be 
only  a  pleasant  diversion,  an  overture  of  the  program 
for  Harry's  birthday. 

The  natives  w7ere  also  watching  the  breeze,  and 
fearing  their  prey  would  escape,  they  made  a  dash 
for  the  bows  of  the  ship,  where  Mr.  Baker,  with 
his  watch,  was  ready  to  receive  them.  Then  followed 
a ,  scene  that  baffles  description.  A  score  of  canoes 
attempting  to  gain  a  point  where  there  was  room 
for  only  one;  the  half-naked  savages  crowding  and 
pushing,  and  leaping  from  one  canoe  to  another, 
capsizing  their  frail  barks;  their  agonizing  death  strug- 
gle in  the  water,  together  with  the  fierce  yells  of 
their  war  cry; — all  this  presented  a  sight  more  fright- 
ful than  dangerous  to  the  beholder.  Their  unorgan- 


56  RESCUED  sr  A   PRINCE 

ized  strength  was  their  weakness;  for  what  might 
have  been  a  formidable  force,  if  massed  on  board 
of  a  large  craft  alongside  of  the  ship,  became  pow- 
erless when  spread  over  several  acres  of  water,  with 
the  object  of  their  attack  in  the  center. 

A  young  chief,  wishing  to  distinguish  himself, 
dashed  toward  the  mizzen  chains,  but  was  easily  re- 
plused  by  the  starboard  watch  in  charge  of  the  sec- 
ond officer.  The  Captain,  apparently  not  paying  the 
slightest  attention  to  the  wild  scene  around  him, 
stood  at  the  break  of  the  quarter  anxiously  watch- 
ing the  oncoming  wind,  which  was  already  throwing 
its  "cat's-paws"  around  the  ship.  His  wife,  un- 
moved as  a  statue,  stood  beside  him  watching  the 
strange  conflict. 

Yells  of  rage  from  the  windward,  which  were  pleas- 
ant sounds  to  all  on  board,  indicated  that  the  sav- 
ages had  another  foe  to  contend  with.  The  force  of 
the  wind,  which  ended  the  calm  of  the  past  iwenty- 
four  hours,  was  drifting  them  into  a  compact  mass, 
from  which  it  would  require  time  and  skill  to  extri- 
cate their  frail  craft. 

The  wind  struck  the  ship  lightly.  The  sails  flapped 
and  then  filled.  The  spanker  boom  swung  across  the 
deck,  and  with  the  sound  of  the  spanker  sheet,  as  it 
checked  the  filling  sail,  came  the  cry  from  the  man  at 
the  wheel,  "Harry's  overboard!" 

The  Captain  turned  just  in  time  to  see  Darkey  bound 


THE  Loss   OF  LITTLE  HARRY  57 

over  the  quarter  rail,  while  his  wife  reached  the  taffrail 
only  to  see  a  naked  savage  draw  her  boy  out  of  the  water, 
and  Darkey  with  a  fierce  growl  climbing  into  the  ca- 
noe after  him.  She  gave  an  agonizing  cry  that  pierced 
the  hearts  of  all  on  board,  and  fell  to  the  deck. 

The  Captain  raised  his  rifle,  but  the  savage,  hold- 
ing the  boy  in  front  of  him,  saved  his  own  life, 
while  his  companions  paddled  away,  with  Darkey  show- 
ing his  teeth  and  quietly  gazing  upon  his  little  mas- 
ter, as  if  he  understood  the  situation. 

The  ship  forging  ahead  carried  death  and  destruc- 
tion to  those  in  her  path,  as  the  capsized  and  broken  ca- 
noes, paddles,  and  natives  struggling  in  her  wake  tes- 
tified. Maddened  with  grief  by  the  condition  of  his 
wife  and  the  loss  of  his  boy,  the  Captain  tacked  ship 
and  pursued  the  fleeing  savages.  The  time  employed 
in  bringing  the  great  ship  around  was  well  improved 
by  the  fleet  canoes. 

The  chase  was  a  hopeless  one  from  the  start,  but 
the  Captain  followed  them  to  their  village,  which  was 
situated  on  the  shore  of  a  fine,  deep  bay.  The  natives 
abandoned  their  canoes  on  the  beach,  and  with  the 
remaining  inhabitants  of  the  village  fled  hastily  from 
the  coast  into  the  hills. 

"Clear    away    the   boat,"   ordered  the  Captain. 

Mr.  Baker  touched  him  on  the  shoulder,  and  with- 
out a  word  pointed  toward  the  cabin. 

The  Captain  understood    the  silent   reminder  of  his 


58  RESCL'ED    BT    A     PRIXCE 

officer,  and  reason  asserted  itself.  If  he  was  sure 
the  shock  had  killed  her,  he  had  nothing  but  his 
boy  to  live  for,  and  would  follow  the  trail  of  the 
fleeing  savages  even  though  it  lead  to  certain  death, 
but  the  thought  of  leaving  his  wife,  if  alive,  to  a  fate 
that  caused  him  to  shudder,  aroused  him  to  a  true 
sense  of  the  situation,  and  the  madness  of  placing 
himself  and  ship's  company  in  the  power  of  a  tribe 
of  savages.  Like  one  in  a  trance,  he  went  below, 
and  Mr.  Baker  took  charge  of  the  ship. 

After  hours  of  unceasing  effort  to  strengthen  the 
mystic  cord  that  loosely  held  the  invisible  vital 
spark,  the  Captain's  wife  opened  her  eyes,  and  in  a 
faint  voice  said,  "Frank,  where  is  Harry?  Will 
they  kill  him?  Will  we  find  him?"  Then  clos- 
ing her  eyes  while  a  tremor  passed  over  her  bod y, 
she  became  as  rigid  as  a  marble  statue.  Another 
hour  of  agonizing  suspense;  her  limbs  relaxed;  she 
again  opened  her  eyes,  and  in  a  husky  voice  hardly 
above  a  whisper,  inquired,  "How  did  Harry  fall 
overboard?  Tell  me  all." 

The  Captain  replied,  "There  is  not  much  to  tell. 
It  all  happened  in  an  instant.  Harry  went  up  the 
after  companion  way,  and  stepped  into  the  coil  of  the 
spanker  sheet,  just  as  the  boom  was  swinging  across 
the  deck,  and  was  lifted  over  the  rail  before  any  one 
knew  he  was  on  deck.  The  man  at  the  wheel  caught 
sight  of  his  nightdress  as  he  dropped  into  the  water. 


THE  Loss   OF  LITTLE  HARRT          59 

Darkey   followed  him   so  closely  that    they  both   must 
have  struck  the  water  at  the  same  time." 

"  I  am  sure  I  locked  the  stateroom  door,"  she  said, 
"for  Harry  was  asleep  when  I  went  on  deck." 

"Where  was  Darkey?"   inquired  her  husband. 

"He  was  lying  in  front  of  the  door,"  she  re- 
plied. 

' '  Harry  has  been  teaching  that  dog  for  the  last 
week  to  unlock  that  door  by  turning  the  key  with 
his  teeth,"  said  the  Captain  with  a  sigh. 

"I  have  watched  him  perform  that  trick  many 
times,  but  I  did  not  think  of  it  this  morning,"  she 
said,  while  tears  flowed  from  beneath  her  closed  eye- 
lids, but  the  circulation  of  the  life  current,  vitali- 
zing the  natural  functions,  compelled  the  death  angel 
to  relinquish  his  claim. 


W 


CHAPTER   VI. 

THE  CONVICTS  IN  A  STORM 

HILE  the  ship  was  able  to  hold  her  course  and 
make  good  weather  of  the  gale,  with  the  wind 
on  her  quarter,  the  open  boat,  heavily  laden  and  manned 
by  a  crew  of  landsmen,  was  in  a  critical  condition  for 
stormy  weather.  Nor  did  the  brave  fellows  anticipate 
such  perils  as  were  close  upon  them.  A  beautiful  cirrus 
formation  was  gathering  high  in  the  vault  of  heaven, 
in  curling,  fleece-like  clouds  resembling  long  tufts  of 
hair  or  carded  wool,  familiarly  called  by  sailors  "  mare's- 
tails."  A  cirrocumulus  floated  a  little  below  in  broken, 
fleecy  clouds,  with  their  parts  more  or  less  rounded 
and  regularly  grouped,  known  to  seamen  as  "mack- 
erel sky."  But  in  these  indications  the  occupants  of 
the  boat,  being  without  knowledge  of  the  sea  or  weather, 
did  not  discern  the  warning  contained  in  the  couplet, 
"  Mackerel  sky  and  mare's-tails 
Warn  lofty  ships  to  carry  low  sails." 

Their  first  care  was  to  satisfy  their  hunger  from  the 
bountiful  supplies  received  from  the  ship,  which  they 
had  failed  to  capture,  while  the  boat  floated  idly  upon 

the  placid  waters  of  a  tropical  sea.     When  again  they 
(60) 


THE    CONVICTS  IN  A   STORM  61 

pulled  up  on  their  course  they  gave  no  thought  to 
the  increasing  swell  which  was  the  harbinger  of  dan- 
ger from  below  the  horizon,  where  the  fury  of  the 
wind  was  rolling  the  sea  into  mountain  waves,  and 
throwing  out  its  mighty  power  in  undulations  which 
could  be  felt  far  in  advance  of  the  storm.  But  as 
the  wind  increased  with  the  rising  swell,  and  the  fleecy 
clouds,  thickening  and  darkening  to  a  leaden  hue,  gath- 
ered round  the  ill-fated  boat  like  a  pall  of  gloom,  the 
occupants  began  to  realize  the  situation  ;  but  they  had 
risked  much  and  would  brave  more.  With  the  storm 
upon  them  and  night  coming  on,  they  ceased  rowing 
and  laid  the  boat  head  on  to  the  seas.  The  wind  in- 
creased in  strength  and  the  waves  in  height,  and  long 
before  midnight  it  was  impossible  to  keep  the  boat 
head  on  to  the  waves,  and  their  only  safety  lay  in 
running  before  the  gale.  Not  accustomed  to  the  ma- 
noeuvring of  a  boat  under  such  difficult  circumstances, 
they  took  a  most  unfavorable  time  to  wear  the  boat 
around  before  the  wind ;  and  as  she  fell  off  and  lay 
for  a  moment  in  the  trough  of  the  sea,  broadside  on, 
an  unlucky  wave  swept  over  them  and  for  the  moment 
all  hope  vanished.  But  the  men  clung  to  the  boat, 
which,  owing  to  her  heavy  load,  did  not  capsize,  and 
her  compressed  air  safety  tanks,  which  were  located 
under  the  gunwales,  prevented  the  boat  from  sinking. 
The  half -drowned  men  were  again  above  water,  with 
their  boat  filled  and  laying  like  a  log,  nearly  level 


62  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

with  the  sea,  but  stilV  something  to  stand  upon  ;  and 
with  the  desperation  of  drowning  men,  they  bailed 
out  the  boat  and  got  her  off  before  the  wind. 

They  had  no  further  fear  of  sinking  or  capsizing. 
Their  great  care  was  to  keep  from  being  washed  over- 
board, and  with  renewed  courage  they  continued  the 
unequal  warfare  with  the  elements.  •  Throughout  the 
night  the  boat  scudded  before  the  gale.  Every  sea 
that  curled  over  the  stern  of  the  boat  threatened  to 
engulf  them,  while  every  man  held  his  breath.  Now 
hurled  along  on  the  crest  of  a  combing  wave,  now 
sinking  down,  down  into  the  hollow  of  the  sea;  the 
incessant  roar  of  the  waves  and  storm;  the  lurid 
phosphorescent  light  .that  shone  around  them  from 
the  sea,  which  was  lashed  into  foam  by  the  fury  of 
the  storm; — all  this  constituted  a  scene  so  grana 
and  awful  that  no  pen  can  describe  it,  or  painter  por- 
tray its  solemn  grandeur. 

Day  dawned  and  hope  revived  in  the  breasts  of 
the  hapless  company.  Wet,  cold,  and  exhausted,  with 
nothing  to  satisfy  their  craving  hunger,  after  such  a 
struggle  for  life,  they  were  the  embodiment  of  de- 
spair; but  they  were  still  afloat,  and  while  life  lasted 
they  would  continue  the  fight. 

While  man  may  not  sense  fear  in  the  darkness, 
yet  his  bravest  deeds  are  performed  in  the  light; 
while  he  may  not  >  lose  hope  in  the  night,  it  is  stronger 
in  the  full  light  of  day. 


THE  CONVICTS  IN  A   STORM  63 

They  had  weathered  the  night,  and  surely  the 
day  could  be  no  worse;  at  any  rate  they  would  make 
the  best  of  it.  Their  water-soaked  provisions  were 
thrown  overboard,  which  greatly  lightened  the  boat 
and  enabled  her  to  ride  more  lightly  over  the  waves. 
With  no  practical  knowledge  of  managing  a  boat,  it 
was  evident,  even  to  them,  that  if  the  speed  of  the 
boat  could  be  increased  it  would  enable  them  to 
run  away  from  the  seas  and  greatly  lessen  the 
danger  of  swamping.  No  experienced  navigator  could 
have  reasoned  better.  With  great  difficulty  they  man- 
aged to  rig  up  the  same  old  tarpaulin  with  which 
they  had  so  persistently  attempted  to  escape  from  the 
ship.  Under  the  pressure  of  the  wind  on  the  impro- 
vised sail,  the  boat  leaped  forward  with  great  speed, 
and  as  they  watched  the  result  of  running  away  from 
the  sea  and  wind,  together  with  the  slick  of  the  wake 
made  by  the  boat,  which  prevented  the  sea  from  break- 
ing, they  took  courage. 

But  if  they  were  running  away  from  one  danger 
they  were  rapidly  approaching  another;  for  the  wind 
was  driving  them  at  a  fearful  rate  directly  .toward 
the  most  dangerous  part  of  the  Indian  Archipelago, 
and  if  they  escaped  the  raging  waves  they  would  soon 
find  themselves  among  reefs  and  breakers,  where  in 
such  a  storm  no  human  power  could  save  them.  But 
they  did  not  know  this;  they  thought  only  of  their 

5 


(34  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

safety   for  the  present,   and   gave   no  thought  for  the 
future. 

All  day  they  drove  before  the  relentless  gale,  vainly 
watching  for  some  indication  that  the  worst  was  over. 
Not  a  break  in  the  clouds,  not  a  lull  in  the  storm. 
Hungry,  weary,  and  sick  at  heart  they  silently 
watched  the  deepening  gloom  of  another  night  draw 
on.  The  leaden  sky  which  had  greeted  their  view 
throughout  the  long  and  fearful  day,  now  turned  to 
blackness,  and  a  darkness  that  could  be  felt  spread 
over  the  troubled  waters.  They  could  no  longer  watch 
the  waves  as  they  rose  up  in  the  distance,  and  fol- 
rowed  them,  roaring  like  demons  for  their  prey,  until 
they  lifted  first  the  stern  and  almost  stood  the  boat 
on  her  bow,  then  rolling  under  the  frail  bark,  bring- 
ing her  for  a  moment  on  even  keel,  then  dropping 
her  stern  foremost  into  the  trough  of  the  sea  at  an 
angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  to  be  caught  up  again  by 
the  next  wave  and  forced  through  the  same  evolu- 
tions. But  they  could  distinguish  the  outlines  of  the 
huge  billows  as  they  rose  up  like  a  wall,  each  wave 
fringed  with  that  weird,  phosphoric  light,  until  the 
whole  ocean  appeared  like  a  sea  of  fire ;  they  could 
hear  the  shrieking  of  the  wind  and  the  mourning  of 
the  waves  that  might  have  come  from  lost  souls  en- 
gulfed therein.  The  boat  sped  on  through  the  dark- 
ness during  another  night  of  horror,  leaving  a  luminous 


THE    CONVICTS  IN  A   STORM  65 

wake  behind  her  that  might  easily  be  imagined  as 
the  fiery  trail  of  some  sea  monster,  ever  pursuing  the 
fugitives  fleeing  from  destruction. 

At  dawn  the  gale  had  spent  its  force ;  long  lulls 
and  short  puffs  indicated  that  the  fury  of  the  storm 
was  over.  The  clouds  broke  away,  the  sun  shone 
forth  in  all  its  splendor,  and  before  meridian  the  wind 
had  passed  away,  as  quickly  as  it  had  arisen,  leaving 
no  traces  of  its  desolating  power,  excepting  the  boat, 
with  the  castaways,  completely  worn  out,  asleep  in  the 
bottom,  and  the  old  tarpaulin,  which  had  served  them 
well,  flapping  lazily  against  the  mast  as  the  boat  rose 
and  fell  on  the  harmless  waves. 

They  were  aroused  from  their  slumbers  by  the 
shouting  and  yelling  of  natives,  and  awoke  to  find 
themselves  surrounded  by  canoes  filled  with  naked  sav- 
ages. The  boat,  like  the  ship,  had  been  carried  with 
the  current,  and  had  drifted  among  the  islands  of  the 
Louisiade  Archipelago,  which  consists  of  one  large  is- 
land and  many  smaller  ones,  with  coral  reefs  and  atolls 
innumerable,  situated  southeast  from  the  long  penin- 
sula of  Papua. 

Weak  from  the  lack  of  food,  and  exhausted  by  theii 
terrible  struggle  of  the  last  two  days,  this  new  danger 
seemed  to  paralyze  them.  They  looked  upon  the  scene 
with  a  listless  indifference  that  astonished  the  natives, 
who,  after  being  assured  there  was  no  fight  in  the 


66  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

boat  load  of  white  men,  made  fast  to  the  boat  with 
several  of  their  canoes  and  started  to  tow  her  to  the 
island.  Thus,  through  the  irony  of  fate,  Louis  Napo- 
leon Bonaparte  and  his  companions  were  landed  on  the 
chief  island  of  the  tribe  which  bore  the  name  of 
L,ouisiade. 


N' 


CHAPTER  VII 
SAILORS'    YARNS 

[ORTHWARD  across  the  equator  the  good  ship  held 
her  course,  sailing  in  smooth  waters  and  under 
a  clear  sky,  sighting  the  high  peaks  of  the  Marshall 
Islands  dimly  outlined  in  the  hazy  blue  atmosphere, 
and  fading  away  in  the  distance  as  the  ship  sailed 
on,  while  the  picturesque  L,adrone  group  raised  into 
view  on  the  opposite  horizon.  Never  lagging,  never 
weary,  under  the  influence  of  the  strong  northeast 
trade,  the  ship  passed  from  island  to  island  on  her 
course  to  the  Yellow  Sea. 

The  Captain's  wife  did  not  complain  of  the  fate 
of  her  boy,  but  she  could  not  dispel  the  sadness 
which  had  possessed  her,  and  it  affected  the  entire 
ship's  company.  She  would  recline  in  an  easy  chair 
on  deck  during  the  day,  watching  the  sea  and  gazing 
longingly  upon  each  island  passed  by  the  ship,  but 
showing  no  more  fear  of  land  or  natives.  When, 
as  it  frequently  happened,  an  island  was  passed  close 
aboard,  and  the  natives  crowded  around  to  exchange 
cocoanuts,  plantain,  and  other  products,  for  beef, 
pork,  biscuits,  pipes  and  tobacco,  she  appeared  much 

(67) 


68  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

interested  and  often  bought  pretty  shells  and  curi- 
ously worked  necklaces  from  the  savages,  who  were 
apparently  pleased  to  have  the  privilege  of  trading 
with  the  only  white  woman  they  had  ever  seen. 

The  officers  and  crew  had  settled  down  in  a  list- 
less way  to  the  ordinary  routine  work  of  the  ship, 
and  as  there  was  no  making  sails,  fitting  rigging, 
scraping  spars,  or  slushing  down,  the  crew  was  given 
watch  and  watch,  which  ordinarily,  with  plenty  to 
eat  and  a  good  ship,  constitutes  a  sailor's  paradise. 

But  the  solemnity  which  pervaded  the  ship,  and 
the  monotony  of  fine  weather,  together  with  the  in- 
activity of  the  superstitious  sailors,  so  worked  on  their 
minds  as  to  produce  a  state  of  melancholy  which 
often  leads  to  insanity. 

The  saddest  part  of  the  day  was  the  "dogwatch," 
the  sailors'  hour,  when  all  hands  gathered  around 
the  capstan  on  the  topgallant  forecastle  to  smoke  and 
spin  yarns.  Instead  of  the  merry  scenes  of  song, 
dance,  and  yarn,  as  in  former  time,  these  two  hours 
were  passed  in  silence,  or  in  low  conversation  about 
Missus  and  Harry,  or  perhaps  vaguely  watching  the 
long  roll  of  foam  which  the  ship  forced  far  ahead, 
sparkling  with  phosphoritic  light,  then  curling  along 
the  sides  and  eddying  in  her  wake. 

"This  ship  reminds  me  of  the  'Flyin'  Dutchman,'  " 
said  an  old  sailor,  looking  aloft  at  the  white  cloud 
of  canvas  bellying  to  the  breeze,  "an'  sometimes  I 


SA  IL  ORS'    TA  RNS  69 

wonders  if  we's  not  erboard  er  phantom  ship ;  an' 
of 'en  when  I'm  alone  in  the  graveyard  watch  I  pinches 
myself  to  make  sure  I'm  not  a  ghost.  I  hates  to 
leave  the  ole  man,  but  if  this  ship  ever  gets  her 
anchor  down,  I  takes  my  papers  an'  pulls  for-  er- 
other  ship.  Look  at  'em  white  sails  with  the  moon 
shinin'  on  'em  ;  don't  they  look  like  the  sails  of  the 
'  Flyin'  Dutchman  ?  '  "  Then  looking  overboard  he  con- 
tinued, "See  how  she  slips  through  the  water  like 
er  sea  sarpent  after  its  prey,  an'  the  stars  they  stan' 
out  clear  from  the  sky  an'  you  can  see  behin'  'em. 
[Then  in  a  subdued  tone.]  The  whole  thing  is  exactly 
like  the  night  'fore  we  sighted  the  '  Flyin'  Dutchman ' 
off  the  Horn,  five  years  ago  tomorrow  night." 

"Spin  us  the  yarn,  mate,"  said  one  of  his  listen- 
ers, "none  of  us  has  seen  the  'Flyin'  Dutchman.'" 

Tom  Bowline  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  being  the 
only  man  on  board,  who  had  seen  the  phantom  ship, 
and  was  always  ready  to  "spin  the  yarn,"  which  the 
sailors  never  tired  of  hearing.  After  refilling  his 
pipe  and  seating  himself  on  the  capstan,  and  adjust- 
ing his  sou  wester  to  suit  the  occasion,  he  began, 
' '  Man  an'  boy  I  have  sailed  salt  water  nigh  onto 
forty  years,  an'  never  landed  my  '  donkey '  onto 
the  deck  of  er  ship  that  wasn't  square-rigged  and 
sailed  far  enough  off  shore  to  take  soundin's  with  the 
deep  sea  lead.  I  signed  articles  on  board  the  'Stormy 
Petrel,  '  er  fine  ship  of  thirteen  hundred  tons,  com- 


70  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

manded  by  as  fine  er  sailor  as  ever  walked  er  quarter- 
deck; but  his  name  was  Friday.  Now  mates,  note  the 
size  of  the  ship  and  the  name  of  her  ole  man. 

"We  had  watch  an'  watch  an'  good  grub,  an'  if 
it  hadn't  been  for  the  tonnage  number  an'  the  ole  man's 
name  we'd  called  her  er  lucky  ship.  However,  we 
made  er  fine  run  to  the  Cape,  but  there  we  struck  it 
rough,  gale  after  gale  right  in  our  teeth;  but  after 
beatin'  about  for  thirteen  days,  mark  the  number,  mates, 
we  gets  er  fine  day  with  the  ship  on  her  course  under 
full  sail.  That  was  on  er  Thursday,  and  the  night 
was  just  like  this  one:  stars  stood  out  so  clear  that 
we  could  see  'em  risin'  an'  settin' ,  the  moon  shone  full 
on  our  white  canvas  just  like  tonight,  an'  this  whole 
scene,"  looking  again  at  the  sails,  "is  exactly  like 
what  it  was  that  night.  'Fore  the  middle  watch  was 
out  all  ban's  was  called  to  shorten  sail,  an'  'fore  noon 
on  Friday  it  was  blowin'  great  guns,  an'  the  ship 
was  under  lower  topsails.  I  had  the  last  trick  at 
the  wheel  in  the  first  watch,  an'  just  as  the  officer 
of  the  deck  calls  eight  bells,  I  seen  somethin'  that 
froze  the  marrer  in  my  bones.  I  could  not  move  er 
han'  to  strike  the  bells,  my  hair  Stan's  on  en',  an' 
chills  ran  all  over  me;  for  right  on  our  weather  beam 
was  er  ship  under  full  sail  an'  headin'  right  fer  us, 
not  forty  fathoms  away.  'Fore  I  could  sing  out,  the 
great  ship  was  goin'  through  or  over  us  right  between 
the  foremast  an'  mainmast:  I  plainly  saw  the  captain 


SAILORS'    TARNS  71 

an'  crew  dressed  in  the  Dutch  fashion  of  a  hundred 
years  ago.  As  the  phantom  ship  passed  through  us, 
her  captain  drops  er  package  on  our  deck,  an'  I  hears 
him  say  through  his  speakin'  trumpet,  '  Take  this 
to  my  wife  in  Hollan'.' 

"When  I  found  my  reckonin',  I  was  on  my  beam 
en's  in  my  bunk.  I  sen's  for  the  ole  man  an'  tells 
him  erbout  the  package,  but  it  must  have  washed 
overboard  for  they  never  found  it.  They  had  picked 
me  up  to  lee'ard  of  the  wheel.  The  ole  man  said  the 
wheel  had  throwed  me,  but  all  my  shipmates  knew  I 
had  seen  the  '  Flyin'  Duchman. '  " 

"Belay  there,  mate,  you  are  on  the  wrong  tack. 
The  '  Flyin'  Duchman '  was  off  Cape  Horn,  an'  her 
captain  did  not  have  his  wife  on  board,  er  angel 
at  that,  "  said  the  youngest  sailor  among  them. 

"  Don't  class  this  ship  with  the  '  Flyin'  Dutchman,'  " 
said  another,  "her  ole  man  defied  God,  man,  an'  the 
devil,  an'  swore  he  would  beat  around  Cape  Horn  in 
spite  of  them  all,  an'  for  this  sin  he  is  doomed  to  be 
allus  sailing,  and  never  get  into  port,  but  is  never  seen 
far  from  the  Cape.  ' ' 

1 '  Avast  heaving,  mates, ' '  said  Tom  Bowline. 
"  You're  all  erback.  I  don't  class  this  ship  with  the 
'Flyin'  Dutchman,'  only  she's  uncanny.  Look  at  her! 
Even  her  yards  won't  squeak,  her  sails  won't  slat, 
an'  her  blocks  won't  rattle,  and  Missus'  sad  face 
ha'nts  me  when  I  sleep.  The  ole  man  never  speaks, 


72  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

an'  the  officers  give  orders  as  if  they  was  navigatin' 
a  funeral.  I  wish  we  could  raise  er  fight,  run  er- 
foul  er  typhoon,  strike  er  squall, —  anything  but  this 
infernal  sunshine,  day  in  an'  day  out.  An'  these 
still,  starlight  nights,  without  sea  enough  to  wash 
the  ole  ship's  sides,  is  enough  to  drive  er  man 
crazy.  Mates,  there's  allus  trouble  erboard  when 
the  ship  don't  wash  her  own  sides.  When  I  goes 
aft  to  take  my  trick  at  the  wheel,  Missus  sets  there 
so  sorry ful  an'  pale  that  I  don't  know  whether  its 
her  or  her  ghost,"  and  he  drew  his  shirt  sleeve 
across  his  eyes. 

"An'  last  night,  mates,"  said  another  sailor,  "the 
starb'ard  side  light  goes  out,  an'  I  took  it  under  the 
weather  rail  to  light.  I  struck  several  matches  an' 
they  went  right  out,  as  if  some  one  was  blowin' 
'em,  an'  when  I  gets  impatient  an"  lights  ernother, 
covering  it  with  my  souwester,  I  hears  Harry  laff 
just  as  he  use  ter,  an'  you  knows,  mates,  how  he 
would  blow  out  the  matches  an'  laff  when  any  of 
us  was  lightin'  the  lanterns." 

1 '  I  never  sees  the  side  light  of  a  ship  without  er 
kind  er  creepy  feeling  all  over  me,"  said  the  new 
hand,  shipped  in  Australia,  who  had  not  established 
his  reputation  as  a  yarn  spinner. 

"Spin  us  the  yarn,  mate,"  said  Tom  Bowline, 
vacating  the  story-teller's  seat  on  the  capstan  head. 
The  new  hand  took  the  seat,  and  without  any  pre- 


SAILORS'    TARNS  73 

liminary  remarks,  began:  "I'd  been  er  month  in 
port  an'  no  ship.  Last  voyage,  money  gone,  an'  er 
month's  advance  due  the  boardin'  master,  who  was 
already  looking  sideways  at  table,  an'  hintin'  'twas 
time  to  look  for  er  berth.  I  ships  on  board  er 
clipper  West  Inji  man,  out,  an'  back  to  the  same 
port.  I  gets  my  month's  advance,  pays  my  board 
bill,  an'  takes  my  donkey  on  board.  She  was  er 
good  craft,  an'  everything  shipshape.  All  went  well 
till  we  passed  Hatteras  on  our  return  trip;  but  when 
we  poked  our  nose  out  of  the  stream  we  struck  er 
noreaster  that  pulls  our  rags  down  to  lower  top- 
sails an'  storm  staysails.  Night  comes  on  with  er 
blindin'  snowstorm  that  no  sailor  could  look  in  the 
eye,  but  the  ship  was  makin'  good  weather  with  one 
watch  on  deck,  although  the  ole  man  never  goes 
below.  'Fore  goin'  below  when  my  watch  was  re- 
lieved at  midnight,  I  goes  to  take  er  look  at-  the 
side  lights.  We  had  our  port  tacks  erboard,  an'  I 
goes  along  the  weather  side.  The  port  light  was 
burnin'  all  right,  then  I  turns  to  cross  the  deck 
for'ard  the  house  to  lee'ard  when  I  sees  er  man 
lookin'  at  the  starb'ard  light  that  was  shinin'  full 
in  his  face.  I  takes  him  to  be  one  of  my  mates  in 
the  same  watch,  then  as  I  goes  below  I  finds  all 
my  watch  mates.  I  gives  one  look  an'  rushes  on 
deck;  there  was  the  same  feller,  but  he  was  lookin' 
at  the  port  light.  I  watches  him,  with  my  knees 


74  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

shakin'  and  teeth  chatterin'  like  I  has  the  shagus 
fever,  till  he  just  faded  away.  I  could  see  the  red 
light  shine  right  through  him,  an'  the  snow  blowin' 
through  him  'fore  he  dissolved  into  nothin'.  As  soon 
as  I  could  haul  up  on  my  course  I  made  aft  to 
the  ole  man  who  was  stan'in'  on  the  quarter-deck 
under  the  lee  of  er  tarpaulin  triced  up  in  the  mizzen 
riggin'.  'What  did  he  look  like?'  asked  the  ole 
man  after  listenin'  to  my  yarn.  '  Well,  sir,'  says  I, 
'  he  \vas  tall  an'  rather  slim,  with  er  young,  pleas- 
ant face,  er  very  small,  thin,  white  mustache,  with 
about  er  week's  growth  of  beard,  rather  thin.'  'How 
could  you  get  such  a  good  look  at  him  on  er  night 
like  this?'  asks  the  ole  man.  'Sir,'  says  I,  'he 
stood  right  under  the  green  light  that  shines  full 
in  his  face. '  '  How  was  he  rigged  ? '  asks  the  ole 
man.  'Sir,'  says  I,  'he  had  on  his  oilskins,  an' 
one  of  them  cap  an'  cape  sou  westers. '" 

"  He  was  no  sailor  to  wear  that  kind  er  headgear," 
broke  in  old  Tom  Bowline. 

"Put  a  stopper  on  your  jaw  tackle,"  said  Jack, 
who  always  acted  as  chairman  on  such  occasions. 

"You,  er  old  sailor,  breakin'  the  rules,  you  know 
better." 

Tom  subsided  and  the  speaker  continued,  "'It 
must  have  been  one  of  the  watch  on  deck,'  says  the 
ole  man.  I  couldn't  see  the  ole  man's  face,  but  his 


SAILORS'    TARNS  75 

voice  sounded  kind  er  sad.  I  went  below  an'  says 
nothin'  to  nobody  about  the  matter.  A  few  days  after 
when  we  gets  fine  weather,  an'  my  trick  at  the  wheel, 
the  ole  man  conies,  takes  hole  of  the  wheel  an'  says, 
'Jack,  .run  down  below  an'  bring  me  my  sextant.'  He 
was  er  nice  man,  an'  no  high  fuluten  ways.  I  goes 
below  to  bring  that  hog-yoke  for  the  ole  man,  an' 
right  'fore  my  eyes  on  the  cabin  table  was  that  pic- 
ter  of  that  feller  I  sees  lookin'  at  the  side  lights. 
Mates,  you  could  er  knocked  me  down  with  er  ball 
er  spun  yarn,  but  I  braces  up  an'  takes  the  hog-yoke 
to  the  ole  man  an'  takes  the  wheel  again,  just  as  if 
nothin'  had  happened  to  take  the  wind  out  er  my 
sails.  But  the  ole  man  knowed  I  was  shakin'  in  the 
wind,  an'  looks  me  square  in  the  eye  an'  asks  me  if 
the  man  I  seen  the  other  night  looks  like  the  picter 
I  sees  in  the  cabin.  '  Yes,  sir,'  says  I,  '  it  was  the  same 
man.'  '  Poor  fellow,'  says  the  ole  man,  kind  er  sorry - 
like,  '  he  was  first  mate  with  me  for  years,  but  was 
washed  overboard  in  a  hurricane,  an'  in  stormy 
weather  he  allus  looks  after  the  lights.  We  don't 
pay  any  attention  to  him,  but  you  are  er  new  man.' 
But  mates,  that  ship  never  reached  port.  All  hands 
was  saved  by  takin'  to  the  boats,  but  the  ship  an'  cargo 
was  lost." 

The   silence  that  followed  the  spinning  of  this  hair- 
lifting    and    ' '  kind   er   creepy ' '    yarn  was   broken   by 


76  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

Tom  Bowline  who  said  contemptuously,  "  Mate,  I  wants 
to  ask  what's  you  doiii'  on  er  land  jammer?  Wasn't 
you  'fraid  to  get  out  sight  er  land?" 

A  look  of  resentment  came  into  the  sailor's  eyes,  but 
he  must  respect  the  man  who  had  sailed  salt  water  "nigh 
onto  forty  years  and  never  took  soundings  with  a 
hand  lead." 

"  I  tries  to  make  my  course  clear,"  he  quietly 
replied.  "I  explains  'fore  I  gets  under  steerageway 
how  I  was  out  of  er  berth,  no  deep  water  ship  in  port, 
boardin'  master  bearin'  down  on  my  weather  quarter, 
month's  advance  to  lee'ard,  and  had  to  pull  for  er  ship. 
I  likes  to  make  er  straight  wake,  an'  ruther  be  under 
m5r  own  canvas,  even  on  er  fresh-water  ship,  than  take 
a  beggarly  hawser. ' ' 

"That's  square-rigged,  mates,"  said  Tom  pater- 
nally to  the  group  of  sailors  around  the  capstan,  and 
the  new  hand  had  made  his  reputation  as  a  yarn 
spinner,  and,  measured  by  their  own  standard,  was 
worthy  to  associate  with  deep  water  sailors. 

The  question  of  sailor  ethics  settled,  the  conversation 
became  general.  Each  one  had  seen  something  or 
heard  some  noise  that,  to  them,  was  of  a  supernatural 
order.  They  all  agreed  the  ship  was  haunted,  but  with 
well-behaved  ghosts  that  would  do  them  no  harm; 
yet  the  presence  of  any  class  of  ghosts,  even  if  they  were 
guardian  angels,  so  wrought  upon  their  superstitious 


SAILORS'    TARN.  77 

natures  that  they  imagined  every  noise  not  readily  ac- 
counted for  was  produced  by  visitants  from  an  un- 
known world.  Doubtless  the  intensity  of  their  thoughts 
concentrated  upon  ghosts,  would  have  materialized  one 
if  the  striking  of  eight  bells,  which  ended  the  dog- 
watch, had  not  broken  the  spell. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
TOM   BOWUNB 

"in HE  Captain's  wife  had  taken  no  interest  in  the  ship 
or  the  progress  of  the  voyage,  and  apparently 
no  account  of  time,  since  that  fatal  day  when  the 
joy  of  her  life  went  out.  Her  husband,  stricken  with 
grief  by  the  loss  of  his  boy,  watched  her  weakening 
condition  with  the  gravest  apprehension,  but  was  much 
relieved  when,  about  three  weeks  after  the  loss  of 
Harry,  as  the  ship  was  entering  the  Yellow  Sea,  she 
asked,  "How  long  before  we  will  reach  Chefoo?" 

"  We  shall  make  port  in  about  a  week  if  the  weather 
continues  favorable,"  answered  her  husband  cheer- 
fully, hoping  to  arouse  her  from  that  seated  melan- 
choly which  was  insidiously  preying  upon  her  health 
and  diminishing  the  power  of  her  mind. 

' '  What  shall  we  do  about  Harry  ? ' '  she  said  with 
tears  in  her  eyes.  "Have  you  formed  any  plans  for 
his  rescue  ?  ' ' 

"  There  is  only  one  thing  to  do,"  replied  her  hus- 
band, "and  that  is  to  fit  out  a  ship  and  search  the 
(78) 


TOM  BOWLINE  79 

islands  till  we  find  him.  We  have  money  enough  to 
build  and  fit  out  a  small  ship  of  our  own,  and  keep 
her  in  commission  for  a  year  or  two,  and  in  that  time 
we  will  find  our  boy. ' ' 

"I  have  thought  of  the  same  plan,"  she  said  with 
great  interest.  "  We  can  take  a  cargo  from  China 
direct  to  Boston  and  return  inside  of  a  year  and  be- 
gin our  search." 

The  Captain  desiring  above  all  things  to  agree 
with  her,  and  to  encourage  any  interest  and  enthusiasm 
manifested  by  his  wife,  yet  knowing  the  uncertainty 
of  calculating  on  the  time  necessary  to  navigate  a 
sailing  ship  to  a  port  halfway  around  the  world,  said 
hesitatingly,  "If  everything  moves  as  favorably  as 
we  might  reasonably  expect,  you  have  set  the  time 
about  right.  But  we  are  a  long  way  from  home,  and 
must  take  our  chances  as  to  cargo,  winds,  and  storms." 

' '  I  can  see  in  your  face  and  know  by  your  manner 
that  you  think  the  time  too  short.  Tell  me  just  what 
you  think  of  it?"  she  asked  in  a  pleading  voice. 

"I  do  not  expect  a  return  cargo  from  the  port 
to  which  we  are  bound.  This  will  necessitate  visit- 
ing other  ports  in  search  of  a  charter,  and  as  most 
of  the  freight  from  the  southern  ports  of  China  is 
carried  by  the  regular  line  steamers  through  the  Suez 
Canal,  there  is  nothing  left  for  a  sailing  ship  to  take 
around  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  As  a  last  resort  we 
may  be  obliged  to  go  to  some  port  in  Java,  where,  if 
6 


80  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

we  cannot  secure  a  charter  at  once,  I  can  purchase, 
on  ship's  account,  a  cargo  of  sugar  or  coffee." 

She  remained  silent  some  moments.  ' '  Why  not  give 
up  the  ship  in  China,  or  after  procuring  a  return 
cargo?"  she  asked,  "and  send  her  home  in  charge  of 
Mr.  Baker,  and  we  fit  out  a  ship  here,  saving  O  so 
much  time?"  "We  cannot  get  what  we  want  in  this 
part  of  the  world,"  replied  the  Captain.  "We  may  not 
find  Harry  on  Stewart  Island,  and  must  fit  out  a 
ship  for  a  two  years'  cruise  and  be  prepared  to  search 
the  whole  Indian  Archipelago  and  fight  the  natives 
on  every  island.  Owners  and  underwriters  will  give 
us  their  sympathies,  and  also  contribute  liberally  to- 
ward fitting  out  an  expedition.  But  our  loss  is  a 
private  affair,  and  outside  of  a  sentiment  that  may  be 
created,  which  will  vary  according  to  the  temperament 
of  the  people  and  the  condition  of  the  atmosphere,  no 
one  cares  whether  Harry  is  on  a  cannibal  island  or 
playing  on  the  quarter-deck.  Why  should  they?  There 
are  thousands  of  boys,  each  alike  dear  to  his  own 
parents.  We  bear  our  own  burden  of  sorrow,  and 
no  one  can  relieve  us." 

"Then  it  may  be  two  or  three  years  before  we 
find  him,"  she  said  with  a  sigh,  and  the  tears  siowly 
eoursed  down  her  pale  sad  face,  while  the  man  at 
the  wheel  turned  his  head  away  to  leeward  to  hide 
his  emotions. 

"We  will  find  him  as  soon  as  possible,"   said   her 


TOM  BOWLINE  81 

husband,  "and  then  quit  the  sea.  We  are  young  yet, 
and  may  find  on  land  that  happiness  which  we  have 
failed  to  find  on  the  water." 

Stormy  weather  set  in  as  the  ship  entered  the  Yel- 
low Sea,  and  for  days  at  a  time  she  was  under  close 
reefed  topsails,  and  while  not  in  any  unusual  danger, 
the  ship  did  little  better  than  to  hold  her  own. 

The  sailors,  with  plenty  of  hard  work  and  their 
' '  dogwatch  ' '  yarn  spinning  broken  up,  had  no  time 
to  indulge  in  gloomy  thoughts.  There  was  no  more 
trouble  about  the  side  lights  going  out,  and  it  was  no 
longer  possible  to  distinguish  any  supernatural  sounds 
in  the  whistling  of  the  wind  through  the  rigging  and 
the  groaning  of  the  heavy  masts  and  spars.  The  ghosts 
and  the  "Flying  Dutchman"  were  forgotten  by  the  tired 
sailors,  who  were  glad  to  turn  in  to  their  bunks  as 
soon  as  relieved  from  their  watch  on  deck. 

After  being  tossed  about  for  three  weeks  and  nar- 
rowly escaping  shipwreck  on  the  island  of  Formosa, 
the  ship  was  again  under  full  sail,  making  good  prog- 
ress on  her  course.  The  high  promontory  of  Shan- 
tung was  a  welcome  sight  to  all  hands,  and  twenty- 
four  hours  later  the  ship  was  riding  at  her  anchor 
in  the  beautiful  harbor  of  Chefoo. 

A  physician  was  called  on  board  at  once  to  look 
after  the  condition  of  the  Captain's  wife,  who  had 
not  been  on  deck  since  the  talk  with  her  husband 
about  plans  for  the  rescue  of  Harry,  before  the  ship 


82  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

entered  the  Yellow  Sea,  and  was  now  unable  to  leave 
her  cabin.  In  his  diagnosis  of  the  case  the  doctor, 
an  Irish  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  gave  many  high- 
sounding  names,  not  nautical,  which,  when  close 
reefed,  meant  nervous  prostration.  He  ordered  that 
she  be  taken  on  shore  immediately  for  absolute  rest 
and  medical  treatment. 

After  the  cargo  had  been  discharged  and  the  ship 
in  ballast  all  ready  to  sail  in  search  of  a  charter,  none 
being  obtainable  in  Chefoo,  the  doctor  would  not  give 
his  professional  consent  for  his  patient  to  go  on  board 
the  ship.  He  gravely  informed  the  Captain  that  it 
would  be  necessary  for  his  wife  to  remain  on  shore 
under  treatment  for  at  least  three  months  longer,  and 
that  her  nervous  system  was  in  such  a  critical  condi- 
tion that  the  greatest  care  must  be  exercised,  else  she 
might  never  recover  from  the  severe  nervous  shock 
and  mental  strain  to  which  she  had  been  subjected. 
There  was  nothing  to  do  but  submit  to  the  inevitable. 
But  the  ship  could  not  remain  idle  for  three  months, 
and  the  Captain  was  obliged  to  seek  for  a  charter 
that  would  keep  him  employed  while  awaiting  the  re- 
covery of  his  wife. 

While  Captain  Willis  was  in  the  midst  of  these 
troubles,  the  crew  came  aft  in  a  body  one  morning  to 
have  a  "talk  with  the  old  man." 

"Well,  my  men,  wrhat  can  I  ,do  for  you?"  in- 
quired the  Captain  in  a  pleasant  manner,  as  he  sur- 


TOM  BOWLINE  83 

veyed  the  group  of  sailors  formed  in  a  semicircle  in 
front  of  him,  reading-  their  thought  as  they  stood  in 
respectful  silence  with  their  eyes  first  on  the  Captain, 
then  looking  far  away  over  the  harbor  and  back  again 
to  the  deck,  as  if  ashamed  of  their  mission. 

"  Captain,"  said  Tom  Bowline,  then  hesitating  as 
if  undecided  what  to  say  and  how  to  begin,  and  half 
inclined  not  to  say  anything,  he  hitched  up  his  trou- 
sers, looked  to  windward,  then  at  his  mates,  and  stood 
like  a  bashful  schoolboy,  awkwardly  toying  with  his 
souwester,  while  his  shipmates  mutely  showed  their 
sympathy,  not  unmixed  with  chagrin,  for  the  failure 
of  their  acknowledged  leader  and  authorized  spokes- 
man to  represent  them  in  a  shipshape  manner  on  the 
quarter-deck  before  the  "old  man."  The  Captain, 
seeing  the  embarrassment  of  the  honest  old  sailor 
and  desiring  to  help  him,  said,  "You  want  to  leave 
the  ship,"  and  then  to  himself,  "I  don't  blame 
them  ;  why  should  any  one  suffer  for  the  sorrows  of 
another  ? ' ' 

"You  see  Captain,"  said  Tom,  who  being  encour- 
aged found  his  tongue,  "We's  aweful  sorry  for  you 
an'  the  Missus  an'  little  Harry,"  wiping  his  eyes 
with  his  sleeve,  "we's  good  sailors,  an'  no  cowardly 
Ian' -lubbers.  We've  got  er  good  ship  an'  good  offi- 
cers, with  plenty  of  good  grub,  an'  I  knows  an'  I 
speaks  for  my  mates  that  you  is  er  first-class  deep 
water  sailor."  Then  with  an  air  of  superiority  he 


84  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

looked  proudly  around  at  his  mates  and  continued, 
"Man  and  boy  I've  sailed  deep  water  nigh  onto 
forty  years,  an'  never  signed  ship's  articles  on  board 
er  Ian'  jammer;  but  we's  ready  to  hug  the  Ian' 
with  you  for  three  months  or  more  on  Missus'  ac- 
count, even  if  you  has  to  take  to  river  sailin'  an' 
fresh  water,  but  — 

"But  what,  Tom?"  inquired  the  Captain,  the 
sailor  again  hesitating  as  if  ashamed  to  state  the  real 
reason  for  deserting  the  ship  in  a  foreign  port. 

"We  can't  stan1  by  er  ha'nted  ship,"  blurted 
out  Tom,  with  great  effort  and  much  relief  to 
himself  and  mates.  Then  in  true  sailor  style  he  told 
the  Captain  of  the  strange  noises  they  had  heard  on 
board  ;  the  unnatural  movements  of  the  ship,  and 
her  ghost-like  appearance  in  fine  weather ;  the  trouble 
with  the  side  lights,  and  Harry's  laugh. 

The  Captain  gave  very  close  attention  to  that 
which  was  to  Tom  and  his  mate's  of  the  greatest 
importance,  and  was  apparently  as  much  interested 
in  the  recital  of  their  grievances  as  if  he  were  listen- 
ing to  a  lecture  on  mathematical  astronomy.  He 
knew  the  superstitions  of  sailors,  and  they  did  not 
appear  any  more  absurd  to  him  than  the  good  and 
bad  signs  of  landsmen.  If  he  could  respect  one  he 
could  the  other.  There  was  just  as  good  reason  for 
the  sailor  to  leave  his  ship  with  the  rats  as  for  his 
brother  on  land  to  carry  a  rabbit's  foot.  The  sailor 


TOM  BOWLINE  85 

had  the  same  reason  to  believe  bad  luck  would  fol- 
low the  ship  that  sailed  on  Friday  as  his  shore 
brother  had  to  think  ill  luck  would  follow  him  if 
he  should  first  see  the  new  moon  over  the  left 
shoulder. 

' '  Have  you  seen  anything  that  you  would  be 
willing  to  swear,  on  your  oath  as  a  sailor,  was  a 
spirit  from  the  other  world?"  inquired  the  Captain 
very  gravely. 

"  No,  Captain,  I  can't  say  on  oath  as  we 
has. ' ' 

' '  Have  you  heard  any  strange  or  unnatural  noise 
since  we  entered  the  Yellow  Sea?" 

"No,  sir,"  said  Tom  nervously,  chewing  the  rim 
of  his  souwester. 

"Then,"  said  the  Captain  quizzingly,  "if  the 
ghosts  have  left  the  ship,  why  do  you  want  to  pull 
for  another  berth?" 

"Do  you  think  they  has  left?"  cried  all  hands 
in  one  voice,  while  Tom .  looked  troubled  and  cast 
a  reproachful  glance  at  his  mates. 

"  Do  you  want  me  to  tell  you  what  I  think  of 
the  whole  matter?"  inquired  the  Captain,  with  all 
the  solemnity  of  manner  and  speech  that  the  occa- 
sion required. 

"Yes,  sir,"  came  in  a  chorus  of  voices,  and  Tom 
was  no  longer  a  representative  for  his  mates,  for  they, 
like  shore  people,  had  taken  up  their  own  cause  in 


86  RESCUED  BT  A   PRIX  HE 

the  popular  way,  which  dispensed  with  the  services 
of  leader  or  tribune. 

"Well,"  said  the  Captain,  "the  circumstances  con- 
nected with  this  voyage,  the  fine  weather,  and  idle  life, 
together  with  the  solemnity  which  pervades  the  ship, 
have  preyed  upon  your  minds  and  you  have  nursed 
those  gloomy  thoughts  until  your  imaginations  have 
run  wild,  and  like  a  ship  without  a  rudder,  have  been 
making  a  crooked  wake,  wandering  around  out  of  your 
reckoning,  without  chart  or  compass.  Why  should  this 
ship  be  haunted  ?  There  has  been  no  crime  committed 
on  board,  no  spirit  has  left  the  body  of  any  one  con- 
nected with  this  voyage  ;  and  the  fact  that  as  soon 
as  you  found  work  enough  to  divert  your  minds  into 
another  channel  you  have  not  heard  any  strange  sounds, 
and  the  side  lights  have  not  given  you  any  more  trouble, 
is  evidence  enough  to  satisfy  any  well  ballast' d  sailor 
that  his  suspicions  have  no  foundation." 

"But  what  makes  the  side  lights  go  out  so  many 
times  ? ' '  inquired  one  of  the  sailors,  while  the  rest 
appeared  to  be  thinking  seriously  over  the  Captain's 
reasonable  explanation  of  what  had  so  troubled  them. 

"Have  you  forgotten,"  quietly  answered  the  Cap- 
tain, "that  we  always  have  trouble  with  the  lights 
in  fine  weather?-  Every  sailor  knows  that,  if  he  don't 
understand  the  cause.  If  the  lanterns  were  so  con- 
structed as  to  have  ventilation  enough  for  the  lights 
to  burn  brightly  in  a  calm,  when  you  can  carry  a 


TOM  BOWLINE  87 

lighted  candle  about  deck,  they  would  let  in  too  much 
air  whenever  we  have  a  whole  sail  breeze,  and  be  of 
no  use  whatever  in  a  gale  of  wind." 

"That's  square-rigged,  mates,"  said  Tom  Bowline, 
who  was  always  authority  in  consideration  of  his  forty 
years  on  salt  water. 

"But,"  continued  the  Captain,  "this  is  a  gloomy 
ship,  and  ill  suited  to  light-hearted  sailors.  I  don't 
blame  you  for  wanting  to  leave  such  melancholy 
surroundings,  and  you  are  free  to  go.  The  law  will 
not  allow  me  to  give  you  an  honorable  discharge, 
but  come  aft  in  an  hour  and  get  your  wages.  After 
dark  go  quietly  ashore,  but  keep  a  sharp  lookout 
for  the  land  sharks,  who  will  follow  in  your  wake 
in  hopes  of  the  reward  I  shall  offer  in  compliance 
with  the  law  in  such  cases.  It  will  be  my  painful 
duty  to  enter  you  in  the  logbook  as  deserters  in 
order  to  account  to  the  authorities  in  the  states  for 
my  failure  to  return  you  to  the  home  port.  I  am 
sorry  to  part  company  with  you.  We  have  sailed 
together  for  many  years.  I  have  no  hard  feelings, 
and  hope  you  will  find  a  good  ship,  and" — dropping 
his  voice  — ' '  may  you  never  know  the  sorrow  that  is 
crushing  my  life  out  and  killing  your  poor  Missus." 

"You  may  keelhaul  me,  Captain,"  said  old  Tom, 
with  the  tears  streaming  down  his  bronzed  cheeks 
and  forgetting  his  "  forty  years"  preamble,  "if  I  leaves 
this. ship.  We'll  stay  with  you  an'  stan'  by  the  ship; 


88  RESCUED  BY  A   PRINCE 

we  won't  leave  er  shipmate  on  er  lee  shore.  It  was 
the  ghosts,  an'  we  has  been  a  lot  of  lubberly  fools; 
what  say  you,  mates?" 

"Three   chee " 

"Avast  heaving,  mates!"  said  Tom,  "we  can't 
cheer  when  Missus  's  ashore  sick  an'  little  Harry 
with  the  savages." 

As  the  Captain  silently  held  out  his  hand  old 
Tom  grasped  it  with  a  grip  that  assured  the  Captain 
of  his  sympathy  and  support.  Each  sailor  in  turn 
shook  hands  with  the  ' '  old  man ' '  and  quietly  left  the 
quarter-deck. 

"  Xoble  fellows,"  mused  the  Captain  later,  watch- 
ing them  contentedly  lounging  on  the  topgallant  fore- 
castle, smoking  and  spinning  yarns,  "ready  to  fight 
man  or  beast  at  a  moment's  notice;  every  day  in 
peril  of  their  lives.  But  if  they  should  see  a  rat  leave 
the  ship,  every  one  of  them  would  follow,  and  no  rea- 
son or  logic  could  bring  them  back."  Then  ordering 
Mr.  Baker  to  get  the  ship  under  way  and  lay  off  and 
on,  he  stepped  over  the  side,  down  the  ship  ladder 
into  the  boat.  The  men  gave  way  and  the  boat  shot 
through  the  water  toward  the  large  hotel  on  the 
beach. 


CHAPTER    IX. 
THE  TYPHOON 

A  FTER  backing  and  filling  for  au  hour  or  more, 
*^  the  ship  filled  away  and  stood  in  toward  the 
hotel  on  the  beach,  tacked  ship  upon  meeting  the  boat, 
and  with  her  main  topsail  to  the  mast  waited  for  the 
Captain  to  come  alongside. 

' '  Stand  by  the  lee  main  braces  ! ' '  ordered  the 
Captain,  as  he  reached  the  deck,  and  the  boat  was 
run  up  to  the  davits,  "main  topsail  haul  !  "  The  yards 
swung  around,  the  sails  filled,  and  the  ship  gathered 
way  on  her  course  up  the  Gulf  of  Peehili,  bound  for 
Neuchwang.  The  Captain  dipped  his  flag.  A  white 
handkerchief  waved  from  the  veranda  of  the  hotel  on 
the  beach.  That  was  all  —  but  who  can  describe  the 
feelings  of  the  man  on  the  ship,  leaving  his  wife  sick 
in  a  foreign  land,  or  the  anguish  of  the  woman  on  the 
veranda  among  strangers,  her  boy,  if  alive,  with  the  sav- 
ages, and  her  husband  again  on  the  treacherous  sea? 

Receiving  her  cargo  in  Neuchwang,  for  Amoy,  the 
ship  was  again  in  the  Gulf  of  Peehili,  slowly  making 
her  way  to  the  Yellow  Sea.  The  weather  had  been 
fine  for  several  days;  in  fact,  too  fine  for  that  part 

(89) 


90  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

of  the  world  and  the  season  of  the  year.  The  beautiful 
cirrus  clouds  floating  high  and  slowly  moving  from  the 
east;  hot,  dry,  and  very  light  air,  and  a  slightly  rising 
barometer,  are  to  the  sailor  ominous  signs  not  to  be 
disregarded. 

A  halo  around  the  sun  during  the  day  and  a  veil 
over  the  face  of  the  moon  at  night;  the  sunrise  and  sun- 
set gloriously  colored  with  crimson,  gold,  and  amber, 
and  the  twilight  rays  beautiful  beyond  description;  — 
these  might  deceive  the  landsman,  but  never  the  sailor. 

The  ship  had  made  but  Uttle  progress  for  several 
days,  and  now  was  hardly  under  steerageway.  About 
thirty  miles  off  the  starboard  beam  the  high  promon- 
tory of  Shantung,  with  Chefoo  on  one  side  and  Port 
Arthur  on  the  other,  stood  clearly  outlined  in  that 
clear,  transparent  atmosphere  which  always  precedes 
a  typhoon. 

The  Captain,  apparently  unconcerned,  walked  the 
quarter-deck,  watching  the  barometer  as  if  calculating 
how  long  before  the  storm  wrould  be  upon  him,  and 
casting  longing  glances  toward  the  land.  He  knew 
what  was  coming,  but  he  had  confidence  in  himself  and 
in  his  ship,  and  one  storm  more  or  less  makes  but  little 
difference  in  the  life  of  a  sailor. 

"Mr.  Baker,"  said  the  Captain,  as  that  officer  came 
on  deck,  ' '  send  down  topgallant  and  royal  yards,  and 
strike  the  topgallant  masts  fore  and  aft,  and  make  all 
snug  for  a  good-sized  tea  party." 


THE    TTPHOON  91 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  responded  the  officer,  as  he  went 
forward  to  execute  the  order. 

The  Captain  continued  to  pace  the  deck,  watching 
the  weather  and  the  sailors,  who  were  working  with 
a  will,  making  ready  for  the  storm  that  was  soon  to 
burst  upon  them.  The  beautiful  cirrus  formation  was 
gradually  replaced  by  heavy  masses  of  cumulus  clouds, 
and  the  few  patches  of  blue  sky  were  streaked  with 
faint  dashes  of  pale  cirrus  forms.  Long  regular  swells, 
gradually  increasing  in  volume,  were  heaving  the  sur- 
face of  the  ocean,  and  the  thin,  transparent  mist 
creeping  over  the  water,  together  with  the  falling  of  the 
barometer,  gave  unmistakable  evidence  that  the  terror 
of  the  China  Sea  was  approaching.  The  temperature 
began  to  fall,  and  the  air  became  oppressive  from 
the  increasing  dampness,  with  the  sky  threatening  and 
vaporous.  The  ship  slowly  rising  on  the  ever  increasing 
swell,  then  as  quietly  dropping  into  the  hollow  of  the 
sea,  with  her  sails  filling,  then  flapping  against  the 
masts  with  a  sound  peculiar  to  a  strange  atmospheric 
condition,  caused  all  on  board  to  feel  an  ominous, 
inexplainable  dread  which  cannot  be  described. 

"Take  in  the  upper  topsails,  reef  the  foresail,  and 
stow  the  main  and  mizzen  courses!  "  ordered  the 
Captain. 

The  ship  was  soon  under  lower  topsails,  fore,  main, 
and  mizzen  staysails,  and  reefed  fore  course.  The 
sun  went  down  behind  a  heavy  bank  of  clouds,  the 


92  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

vanguard  of  the  terrible  enemy  that  was  yet  below  the 
horizon. 

The  phosphorescence  of  the  sea  was  greatly  increased, 
while  the  crest  of  the  swell,  already  slightly  agitated 
by  the  imperceptible  pressure  of  the  wind,  began  to 
ripple,  producing  a  light,  weird  sound  that,  amid  the 
darkness  and  the  solemn  stillness,  might  be  imagined 
the  wail  of  a  lost  soul. 

The  Captain  and  officers  were  silently  watching  the 
dark,  appalling  bank  that  was  slowly,  but  surely 
creeping  toward  the  zenith,  while  the  crew,  gathered 
in  the  waist,  was  waiting  with  nervous  dread,  like 
soldiers  before  a  battle,  the  approach  of  the  raging 
elements. 

The  typhoon  was  now  close  aboard.  Already  puffs  of 
warm,  damp  air  could  be  felt,  while  a  long  luminous 
line  of  phosphoritic  foam,  like  a  rim  of  fire,  revealed 
the  close  proximity  of  the  storm.  The  Captain,  who 
had  been  watching  for  the  first  sign  that  would  indi- 
cate from  what  quarter  the  wind  wouW  strike  the  ship, 
shouted  through  his  speaking  trumpet,  "Stand  by  the 
starboard  main  braces! "  and  every  man  was  at  his  station. 
"Let  go  and  haul;  lively,  men!"  but  they  did  not 
need  the  last  command;  every  man  realized  the  im- 
portance of  quick  action.  The  heavy  yards,  with  the 
whir  ,of  the  ropes  running  through  the  rattling  blocks, 
swung  around  with  a  mournful  sound,  just  in  time  to 
catch  the  first  squall,  which  struck  the  ship  with  such 


THE   TYPHOON  93 

force  that  she  careened  lower  and  lower  until  her  yard- 
arms  nearly  touched  the  water.  The  great  ship  sagged, 
trembled,  and  then  gradually  picking  herself  up, 
gathered  headway,  and  like  a  frightened  monster  of  the 
deep  dashed  away  in  the  darkness,  with  a  great  roll 
of  fiery  foam  before  her,  leaving  a  luminous  serpentine 
wake  behind. 

The  first  danger  was  past.  A  moment's  delay  in 
executing  the  order  would  have  imperiled  the  lives  of 
all  on  board,  for  the  ship  would  have  been  forced 
down,  stern  foremost,  had  she  been  caught  aback  in  such 
a  terrific  squall. 

"Not  so  bad  sir,  after  all!"  exclaimed  Mr.  Ba- 
ker, as  he  came  aft  to  report  all  snug  and  receive 
further  orders. 

"Our  situation  is  critical  in  the  extreme,"  re- 
plied the  Captain  ;  "we  have  not  got  the  worst  of 
it.  The  center  of  the  storm  is  forward  of  the  beam, 
and  the  land  is  too  close  aboard  to  lay  to  on  the 
other  tack.  We  cannot  carry  sail  to  cross  the  course 
of  the  advancing  storm  center;  our  only  hope  is  in 
the  staunchness  of  the  ship,  and  no  unlucky  sea 
striking  us  at  a  critical  moment." 

"She's  all  oak,  sir,"  replied  the  officer,  "and  we 
must  take  our  chances  as  to  unlucky  seas,"  making 
a  dive  for  the  mizzen  rigging  just  in  time  to  save 
himself  from  a  watery  grave  as  a  reminder  of  what 
was  to  follow  tumbled  over  on  deck,  lifting  him  off 


94  RESCUED  BT  A    PRINCE 

his  feet  and  stretching  him  out  like  a  weather  vane. 
But  he  held  his  grip  on  the  rigging,  landed  on  his 
feet,  and,  spitting  the  salt  water  out  of  his  mouth, 
went  forward  -to  see  how  things  looked. 

The  wind  increased  in  violence  with  each  length- 
ening squall  until  there  was  no  perceptible  lull,  but 
one  continuous  howling  of  the  wind. 

The  sea  presented  the  appearance  of  boiling  water, 
due  to  the  air  which  is  caught  and  imprisoned  by 
the  seething  foam  on  the  crest  of  the  huge  waves 
lashed  into  fury.  The  sky  was  black  and  threaten- 
ing, and  had  a  peculiar  awe-inspiring  appearance, 
while  the  overpowering  presentiment  of  coming  danger 
struck  terror  to  the  hearts  of  even  the  brave  sailors 
who  had  met  danger  in  every  form. 

With  a  cannon-like  report  that  could  be  heard 
above  the  shrieking  wind  and  howling  billows,  every 
stitch  of  canvas  was  blown  from  the  bolt  ropes, 
which  relieved  the  straining  ship  from  the  pressure 
that  had  buried  her  lee  rail  under  the  water.  The 
sails  furled  on  the  yards  were  blown  from  their  gas- 
kets and  stripped  into  ribbons.  No  bells  were  struck, 
no  watch  was  set,  but  all  hands  watched,  wet  and 
weary,  and  fought  for  their  lives,  while  the  noble 
ship  struggled  with  the  elements  threatening  to  en- 
gulf her.  An  increasing  pressure  of  the  wind,  a 
perceptible  change  in  the  atmosphere,  and  a  noticeable 
commotion  of  the  water,  then  a  calm ;  but  one  to 


THE    TTPHOON  95 

be  feared  more  than  the  most  terrific  gale.  It  was 
the  calm  center  of  the  typhoon,  and  few  are  the 
ships  that  ever  come  out  of  that  treacherous  storm 
center.  The  winds  were  hushed,  but  the  seas,  re- 
lieved from  the  pressure  of  the  wind,  were  in  the 
wildest  confusion.  Overhead  the  clouds  were  thin  and 
high,  often  permitting  the  stars  to  peep  cheerfully 
through,  as  if  in  mockery  of  the  helpless  ship  below. 
But  woe  betide  those  who  are  deceived  by  the  lull  of 
this  central  calm,  for  around  it  on  all  sides  the  wind 
is  sweeping  in  a  circle,  howling  and  shrieking  at  its 
greatest  velocity,  making  it  impossible  to  tell  from 
what  quarter  the  dangerous  squall  will  sweep  down 
and  strike  the  ship  as  she  emerges  from  the  calm 
center.  However  appalling  may  be  this  central  calm, 
which  is  caused  by  the  rotary  motion  of  the  wind 
and  is  often  twenty  miles  in  diameter,  it  affords  a 
breathing  spell,  and  the  sailor  feels  assured  that  half 
the  storm  has  passed.  After  the  first  encounter  with 
the  wind  on  the  other  side  of  the  circle,  the  worst 
is  over.  The  clear  space  overhead  was  now  closing 
up  with  the  black  angry  clouds,  and  the  ship,  lying 
completely  at  the  mercy  of  wind  and  wave,  was  soon 
met  by  the  opposite  circle  of  the  storm,  and  like  a 
leviathan  of  the  deep,  was  making  her  last  struggle 
for  life.  A  monstrous  wave  struck  her  in  the  stern, 
lifted  her  up  until  she  appeared  to  stand  on  end, 
then  dropped  her  like  a  plaything  into  the  hollow 


96  RESCUED  BT  A   PRTNCE 

of  a  sea,  with  her  broad  side  presented  to  another 
fearful  sea  that  completely  hove  her  down.  The 
wave  that  had  thrown  the  ship  on  her  beam  ends 
partially  whirled  her  around,  so  the  next  sea  struck 
her  on  the  lee  quarter,  bringing  such  a  strain  on 
the  masts  which  were  lying  in  the  water  that  they 
snapped  like  pipestems.  The  ship,  released  from 
her  top-hamper,  righted,  but  was  still  entirely  at 
the  mercy  of  the  waves  that  rose  up  like  huge  walls, 
sparkling  with  phosphorescent  light,  breaking  into 
each  other,  and  falling  upon  the  deck  with  the  force 
of  a  cataract.  The  luminous  water  'revealed  only  a 
black  hull  surrounded  by  the  debris  of  the  wreck. 
Everything  movable  had  been  washed  from  the  deck. 
The  large,  heavy  masts,  with  yards  attached,  were 
still  held  to  the  ship  by  the  rigging,  and  acted 
upon  by  the  billows,  served  as  so  many  battering 
rams  that  threatened  to  crush  in  the  sides  of  the  ship. 

The  moaning  of  the  wind  and  the  driving  of  the 
spoon  drift;  the  thunderous  roar  of  the  water,  which 
was  continually  sweeping  over  the  deck;  men  with  bated 
breath  frantically  clinging  for  their  lives;  over  all  a 
terrible  pall  of  inky  darkness,  relieved  only  by  the  mys- 
tical lurid  light  of  the  sea; —  all  this  was  a  scene  of  wild 
and  fearful  grandeur  seldom  witnessed,  neither  can  it 
be  imagined  or  described.  But  once  seen,  it  is  never 
forgotten. 

In  addition  to   the   horrors   of    the   situation,  three 


THE    TrpHOON  97 

men  had  been  washed  overboard  and  could  be  plainly 
seen  from  the  deck,  clinging  to  the  spars  which  still 
held  to  the  ship.  It  was  useless  to  give  orders.  The 
human  voice  could  not  be  heard  above  the  roar  of  the 
storm.  But  this  awful  sight,  supernatural  in  effect,  as 
the  glow  of  the  lurid  light  of  the  sea  shone  full  on  the 
horrified  faces  of  the  drowning  men,  broke  the  spell 
that  had  fallen  over  all,  and  aroused  the  sailors  from 
their  stupor.  They  needed  no  orders,  but  rushed  to  the 
aid  of  their  shipmates  at  the  peril  of  their  lives,  and 
rescued  them  from  a  watery  grave.  Then  with  a  de- 
termination born  of  desperation,  they  cleared  from  the 
ship  the  wreckage  that  had  nearly  completed  her  de- 
struction. 

At  daylight  the  gale  had  spent  its  force,  and  the 
noble  ship  that  so  proudly  breasted  the  waves  but  twelve 
hours  before  lay  a  helpless  wreck  in  the  track  of  the 
storm.  It  was  a  sad  sight  even  for  the  hardy  sailors 
who  had  witnessed  many  trying  scenes,  and  passed 
through  many  dangers. 

To  a  landsman  the  situation  would  appear  as  a  hope- 
less one,  if  he  was  on  board  a  large  sailing  ship,  with 
nothing  to  show  above  the  hull,  and  a  thousand  miles 
from  the  port  of  his  destination.  But  not  so  with  Cap- 
tain Willis.  With  his  wife  sick  in  a  foreign  land  and 
his  boy  among  the  cannibals,  it  was  useless  to  fret 
about  difficulties  that  must  be  overcome. 

The    spare  spars  lashed  to   the  ringbolts   on    deck 


98  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

had  not  been  washed  away,  and  inside  of  twenty-four 
hours  the  ship  was  making  four  knots,  on  her  course, 
under  jury  masts  which  would  bring  her  into  port  in  ten 
days,  if  the  breeze  continued. 

"Won't  lose  so  much  time  after  all,"  said  Mr. 
Baker,  as  he  looked  with  pride  upon  the  jury  masts  that 
his  untiring  energy  had  so  quickly  rigged  up.  ' '  You 
have  done  a  good  job,  Mr.  Baker,  and  if  the  wind  holds 
fair  we'll  make  pretty  good  time  for  a  lame  duck.'' 

"  Wrong  season  of  the  year,  sir,  to  put  any  de- 
pendence in  the  northeast  monsoon.  She  might  have 
held  on  for  another  month  if  the  typhoon  had  not 
knocked  her  out.  We  can  make  quite  a  wake  with 
the  wind  abaft  the  beam,  but  when  we  brace  up  sharp 
on  the  wind  we'll  crawl  to  leeward  like  a  crab  off 
soundings,"  said  the  officer,  sweeping  his  eye  around 
the  horizon. 

"I  guess  you're  right,"  replied  the  Captain,  "but 
we  will  take  what  comes  ! ' ' 

"We've  took  what's  come  so  far,  and  what  we 
haven't  took,  the  typhoon  has,"  said  Mr.  Baker,  look- 
ing around  the  sea-swept  deck  and  glancing  at  the 
scanty  sails. 

"She  don't  look  much  like  the  Flyin'  Dutchman 
now,"  said  old  Tom,  lying  pn  his  back  on  the  top- 
gallant forecastle,  and  looking  up  at  the  foreyard  lashed 
to  the  stump  of  the  foremast,  with  a  topgallant  yard 
across.  "The  ole  man's  er  sailor  all  right,  an'  Mr. 


THE    TYPHOON  99 

Baker's  no  lubber.  I  likes  to  sail  with  such  men  ; 
they  knows  how  to  handle  er  ship  in  er  storm  an' 
out  of  one.  Say,  mates,  didn't  the  ole  man  line  up 
that  first  en'  of  the  typhoon  shipshape  ?  That's  sea- 
manship. This  remin's  me  of  the  cruise  of  the  Po- 
lar Bear  some  thirty  odd  years  back." 

"  Give  us  the  yarn,  mate, "came  in  a  chorus  of  voices. 
And  so  passed  the  first  "dogwatch"  after  the  storm, 
all  hardships  and  dangers  forgotten,  smoking  and  spin- 
ning yarns,  discussing  the  storm  and  criticising  their 
officers,  till  the  striking  of  eight  bells  cut  short  their 
yarns,  to  be  continued  in  the  next  "dogwatch." 

As  Mr.  Baker  predicted,  there  was  no  more  mon- 
soon to  depend  upon,  and  what  was  gained  with  one 
wind  was  lost  with  the  other  ;  but  after  beating  about 
for  four  weeks,  at  the  end  of  which  time  she  was  not 
halfway  to  port,  an  English  man-of-war  picked  up 
the  ship  and  towed  her  into  port. 


CHAPTER   X 

MRS.  WYUE,  MISSIONARY 

s~>  HEFOO  is  a  beautiful  city,  admirably  located  on 
^— '  the  south  shore  of  the  harbor,  and  extending 
backward  on  gradually  rising  ground  until  it  meets  a 
long,  low  ridge  of  foothills  parallel  with  the  water 
front.  Beyond,  another  ridge  with  its  lofty  peaks 
and  green  sloping  sides  form  a  pretty  background, 
presenting  a  scene  that  artists  love  to  paint. 

In  this  ' '  Newport  ' '  of  China  the  elite  of  the 
foreign  residents  of  the  southern  cities  gather  during 
the  sultry  months  of  July  and  August.  To  the  east, 
just  outside  of  the  city  limits,  stood  "The  Hotel," 
kept  by  a  Scotchman  and  his  wife,  chiefly  his  wife. 
The  house,  or  rather  houses,  were  squatted  over  a 
considerable  territory,  and  connected  in  some  way, 
but  no  casual  observer  could  tell  exactly  how.  The 
guests  were  never  known  to  venture  outside  of  their 
rooms  without  a  guide,  and  frequently  the  servants 
wandered  around  for  hours  in  the  labyrinthiform 
hostlery.  But  the  glory  of  the  hotel  was  the  one 
large  hall  where  the  guests  assembled  for  their  social 
(100) 


MRS.    WYLIE,  MISSIONARY  101 

hops,  which  were  a  feature  of  the  place  and  were 
often  honored  by  the  presence  of  local  and  foreign 
celebrities,  notably  General  Grant  and  his  suite  while 
on  their  trip  around  the '  world.  A  broad  veranda 
extending  along  the  front  of  several  houses  and  making 
some  mysterious  connection  with  each,  furnished  an 
ideal  place  for  a  lounge  or  promenade,  and  afforded  a 
magnificent  view  of  the  harbor,  overlooking  a  fine 
sandy  beach  with  splendid  bathing  facilities,  not  only 
for  the  guests,  but  for  all  the  foreign  population  of 
the  justly  celebrated  city. 

When  the  Captain,  previous  to  his  sailing  for 
Neuchwang,  sought  lodgings  for  his  wife  at  the  hotel, 
the  canny  old  Scotch  lady  received  him  with  great 
formality,  and  conducting  him  to  the  great  room, 
ordered  a  sumptuous  lunch,  which  was  served  by  her 
husband  while  his  amiable  spouse  did  the  talking. 
The  Captain  was  compelled  to  listen  to  the  recital 
of  the  fine  sanitary  condition  of  the  place,  the  solu- 
bility of  the  climate,  tand  the  distinguished  people 
she  entertained  during  the  year.  Then  ordering  her 
husband  "to  tidy  up  and  clear  away  the  lunch,"  she 
conducted  the  Captain  to  the  great  veranda  and  pointed 
out  the  wonderful  view  of  the  harbor,  with  his  own 
ship  in  the  distance.  Improving  the  first  opportunity, 
the  Captain  ventured  to  inquire  regarding  the  cost 
of  such  excellent  accommodations  and  rare  privi- 


102  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

"Only  five  dollars  a  day,  or  thirty  dollars  a  week 
for  your  lady,  and  fifteen  dollars  for  your  lady's 
maid." 

"Have  you  not  made  a  mistake,  madam?"  in- 
quired the  Captain,  with  the  least  bit  of  sarcasm  in 
his  voice,  ' '  five  dollars  a  day  for  seven  days  would 
be  thirty-five  dollars.'* 

"O  no,  indeed!"  said  the  lady,  holding  up  both 
hands  in  horror,  "  I  can't  take  money  for  the  holy 
Sabbath  day." 

The  Captain  could  hardly  suppress  a  smile.  He 
was  unprepared  for  such  piety  and  high  prices,  con- 
sidering the  poor  accommodations;  but  he  was  in  the 
hands  of  the  Philistines,  and  submitted  to  be  shorn. 
He  engaged  what  she  was  pleased  to  term  a  suite  of 
rooms,  consisting  of  one  large  room  fronting  the  har- 
bor, a  wardrobe  or  dressing  room,  which  was  an  ex- 
cavation made  in  the  wall  of  another  house,  and  a 
bath  room  without  a  bath  tub,  but  instead  a  sawed 
off  cask  without  water  connections,  that  had  seen 
service  on  board  some  whaling  ship.  But  the  land- 
lady, with  one  of  her  money-catching  smiles,  informed 
the  Captain  that  "the  boy"  (meaning  the  Chinese 
servant)  "would  fetch  the  water  for  a  few  cash." 

As  the  Captain  did  not  appear  very  much  enthused 
over  this  * '  beautiful  suite  of  rooms  and  artistic  fur- 
nishings, which  was  already  reserved  for  Lord , 

who  had  not  as  yet  sailed  from  England,"  she  men- 


MRS.  WTLIE,  MISSIONART  103 

tioned  the  free  use  of  the  veranda,  with  no  extra 
charge  for  the  salubrious  climate  and  full  view  of  the 
harbor. 

These  magnanimous  concessions,  together  with  such 
a  show  of  motherly  solicitude  for  the  ' '  poor  sick  lady 
so  young  and  pretty  with  no  mother  to  care  for  her," 
could  not  be  resisted,  but  the  Captain  gave  a  sigh  of 
relief  as  he  stepped  into  his  boat,  and  with  an  anx- 
ious glance  over  his  shoulder,  quickly  ordered  the  men 
to  ' '  give  way  lively  ! ' ' 

This  was  to  be  the  home  of  the  Captain's  wife 
while  her  husband  was  filling  in  the  three  months 
prescribed  by  the  doctor  as  necessary  for  the  recov- 
ery of  her  health.  Under  any  other  circumstances  the 
situation  could  not  have  been  tolerated,  but  her  only 
care  was  for  her  health ;  without  it  she  would  not 
be  able  to  accomplish  the  object  of  her  life,  the  res- 
cue of  her  boy,  which  she  looked  forward  to  with 
all  the  fond  hopes  of  a  mother's  love. 

She  did  not  improve  as  rapidly  as  the  doctor  had 
predicted.  He  had  diagnosed  her  case  correctly,  and 
had  administered  the  regular  remedies,  but  they  did 
not  produce  the  desired,  or  expected  results.  What 
was  the  trouble?  As  usual,  when  doctors  can  think 
of  nothing  else,  after  experimenting  with  all  the  reme- 
dies mentioned  in  the  pharmacopoeia,  he  advised  a 
change  of  location.  The  hotel  was  too  near  the  sea 
level;  a  higher  altitude  would  be  beneficial;  the  stir 


104  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

of  so  many  people  was  not  desirable ;  it  irritated  the 
nerves,  and  her  whole  system  required  absolute  rest 
and  perfect  quiet.  This  new  prescription  was  really 
an  encouraging  feature,  for  if  her  condition  had  been 
serious  he  would  have  advised  the  invigorating  cli- 
mate of  Hong- Kong,  or  the  bracing  air  of  Hokodadi; 
in  fact,  anywhere  to  have  gotten  her  off  his  hands, 
even  at  the  sacrifice  of  the  large  fee  he  was  charging 
up  to  the  Captain.  She  was  anxious  to  follow  the 
doctor's  advice  and  to  leave  "The  Hotel,"  but  where 
was  she  to  go  ?  A  stranger  among  strangers,  she 
had  studiously  avoided  society,  since  she  did  not  feel 
equal  to  the  demands  it  might  impose,  and  she  must 
reserve  her  strength. 

The  doctor  had  made  his  usual  morning  call,  and 
reported  his  failure  to  find  a  suitable  place  for  madam  ; 
but  that  afternoon  he  would  "  call  upon  Mrs.  Wylie, 
an  American  missionary,  who  lives  on  the  ridge  back 
of  the  town."  Then  leaving  the  regulation  pills,  pow- 
ders, etc. ,  he  gave  the  maid  more  orders  than  she  could 
remember,  and  with  "I'll  call  again  this  evening," 
was  off  to  his  boat  on  the  beach. 

The  Captain's  wife  was  looking  out  over  the  har- 
bor with  a  dreamy  expression,  as  if  her  thoughts  were 
not  in  harmony  with  her  vision.  The  maid  was  gently 
brushing  her  long,  dark  hair,  which  always  seemed 
to  soothe  her  tired  nerves  more  than  any  medicine 
the  doctor  prescribed.  Each  was  so  absorbed  that  they 


MRS.  WTLIE,  MISSIONART  105 

did  not  notice  the  door  open,  and  two  ladies  enter 
the  room ;  one  sweet  faced  and  of  middle  age,  with 
kindness  stamped  in  every  feature,  the  other,  who  might 
have  been  her  daughter,  with  the  same  sympathetic 
expression.  They  hesitated  for  an  instant,  as  if  un- 
decided whether  to  advance  or  speak,  but  seeing  they 
had  not  attracted  attention  they  advanced  and  were 
beside  the  Captain's  wife  before  she  knew  any  one, 
was  in  the  room.  She  looked  up  very  wearily,  but  the 
moment  she  saw  the  motherly  face  she  intuitively  sprang 
up  and  threw  both  arms  around  her  neck,  and  burst 
into  tears  for  the  first  time  since  the  loss  of  little 
Harry.  The  kind  lady  took  her  in  her  arms  as  ten- 
derly as  if  she  had  been  a  child,  then,  womanlike, 
they  all  cried  without  knowing  the  cause.  But  it  was 
sufficient  for  the  visitors  to  know  that  one  of  their 
sisters  was  in  trouble,  and  tears  brought  relief  to  the 
broken  heart. 

"My  dear  child,"  said  Mrs.  Wylie,  for  that  was 
her  name,  "  I  am  so  glad  I  have  found  you,"  but  she 
did  not  tell  her  that  she  had  called  at  the  hotel  every 
day  for  a  week,  and  that  the  landlady  refused  to 
present  her  card,  giving  as  a  reason  that  the  lady's 
order  was  not  to  admit  any  one  to  her  room.  How- 
ever, she  did  tell  her  how  she  had  succeeded  in  elud- 
ing the  vigilance  of  the  keen-eyed  old  Scotch  lady, 
and  had  entered  the  house  unobserved  by  the  spy- 
ing servants. 


106  RESCUED  Br  A   PRINCE 

The  door  opened  again  and  in  came  the  blustering 
landlady,  officious,  but  extremely  polite. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  ladies,  will  you  please  make 
your  call  as  brief  as  possible  for  the  sake  of  the 
poor  sick  lady  ?  She  is  very  weak  and  nervous,  as 
you  can  see  ;  she  is  crying  now.  She  cries  most  of 
the  time.  I  will  bring  her  up  to  see  you  just  as  soon 
as  the  doctor  will  permit  me  to  take  her  out.  Don- 
ald," she  called  to  her  husband,  who  had  followed 
her  as  far  as  the  door  and  stood  there  meekly  await- 
ing further  orders  from  the  head  of  the  family,  "  when 
these  ladies  are  ready,  accompany  them  to  their  chairs." 

"Don't  worry,  dear,  "  said  Mrs.  Wylie,  while  the 
Captain's  wife  clung  close  to  her,  as  if  afraid  she  would 
leave.  Then  to  the  landlady,  "this  poor  child  is 
going  home  with  me.  She  is  broken-hearted.  I  know 
her  sorrow.  Mary,"  to  her  companion,  "please  order 
two  chairs." 

The  landlady  was  so  completely  surprised  by  the  cool, 
authoritative  manner  of  Mrs.  Wylie  that  she  did  not 
say  a  word,  but  eased  her  mind  to  some  extent  by 
boxing  her  husband's  ears  as  she  passed  him  at  the 
door. 

The  Captain's  wife  knew  she  had  found  a  friend, 
and  without  knowing  who  she  was  or  where  she  was 
going,  clung  to  her  as  she  would  her  mother. 

A  refreshing  ride  in  the  .comfortable  sedan  chairs 
brought  them  to  a  pretty  New  England  cottage  hid- 


MRS.  WTLIE,  MISSIONART  107 

den  by  shade  trees  and  creeping  vines.  The  doctor 
called  upon  Mrs.  Wylie  in  the  afternoon,  who,  in  answer 
to  his  earnest  pleadings  for  his  patient,  said  with  an 
expression  that  puzzled  him,  "You  are  a  little  too 
late,  for  I  have  just  given  up  my  own  room  to  a  very 
deserving  young  lady  who  will  be  our  guest  for  some 
time;  but  she  is  an  invalid  and  may  need  professional 
attention;  will  you  please  step  into  the  next  room?" 
rising  and  leading  the  way.  "Permit  me  to  intro- 
duce  "  Here  the  astonished  doctor  interrupted 

the  introduction  by  exclaiming,  "How  did  you  get  here 
before  you  left  the  hotel?  " 

This  Irish  bull  caused  a  ripple  of  laughter  at  the 
expense  of  the  doctor.  Recovering  from  his  surprise, 
the  doctor  declared  that  his  patient  was  much  improved 
and  that  his  never  failing  remedies  were  producing 
their  usual  magical  effect.  The  ladies  smiled,  wonder- 
ing if  that  remark  was  another  sample  of  the  doctor's 
Irish  wit. 

This  new  home  for  the  Captain's  wife  was  a  sweet 
haven  of  rest  to  the  storm-tossed  soul.  Mrs.  Wylie 
and  her  missionary  companions  were  from  New  England, 
which  was  the  home  of  her  guest,  and  their  native 
tastes  were  manifested,  not  only  in  the  house  and  fur- 
nishing, but  in  the  well-kept  lawn,  pretty  flower  beds 
and  shrubbery,  with  vines  climbing  all  over  the  house. 
The  high  elevation  of  this  New  England  home  afforded 
a  magnificent  bird's-eye  view  of  a  miniature  China, 


108  RESCUED  BY  A   PRINCE 

with  a  typical  Chinese  city  nestling  below,  and  villages 
strung  like  beads  on  ribbon-like  roads  radiating  from 
the  central  city  to  a  vanishing  point.  Beyond  the  city 
lay  the  broad,  smooth  waters  of  the  finest  harbor  in 
the  Empire,  dotted  with  craft  of  all  kinds,  from  the 
Chinese  junk  to  the  clipper  ships  and  stately  war  craft 
of  all  nations.  The  ships  were  coming  and  going,  and 
sanpans  were  flitting  from  shore  to  ship,  producing  a 
panoramic  effect  during  the  day,  and,  with  the  lights 
of  the  ships  resembling  a  well-lighted  city,  a  fairy 
scene,  at  night. 

The  quiet,  religious  influences  of  the  mission  house 
pervaded  the  whole  atmosphere  and  produced  a  most 
wonderful  change  in  the  health  of  the  Captain's  wife. 

"  My  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Wylie,  as  she  came  in  from 
a  visit  of  mercy  to  one  of  the  heathens,  ' '  do  come  out 
and  behold  the  most  glorious  sunset  you  ever  wit- 
nessed. ' ' 

"I  have  seen  these  beautiful  sunsets  before, "  said  the 
Captain's  wife  sadly,  "and  they  always  precede  the  ty- 
phoon." Then  looking  over  the  harbor  and  far  away 
to  seaward,  where  sky  and  water  meet,  she  continued, 
"  My  husband  is  on  the  sea,  and  cannot  be  far  from 
this  place. ' ' 

"Don't  worry  about  your  husband,  dear,"  said 
Mrs.  Wylie  gently,  "it  will  not  help  him  and  it 
will  do  you  much  harm."  Then  she  turned  the  con- 
versation into  a  more  pleasant  channel. 


WTLIR,  MissiONARr  109 

The  clouds  gradually  crept  over  the  sky,  increasing 
in  blackness,  till  the  storm  burst  upon  the  city  in  all 
its  fury.  No  one  went  to  bed  that  terrible  night  of 
wind  and  storm.  The  converted  Chinese  flocked  to  the 
mission  and  huddled  together  in  the  chapel  and  school- 
room, while  the  heathen  sought  their  temples  and  im- 
plored their  gods  for  protection.  The  sun  rose  bright 
and  cheerful  on  a  scene  of  destruction,  as  if  to  atone 
for  the  havoc  of  the  storm.  The  beach  was  strewn  with 
the  wreckage  of  junks,  sanpans,  and  other  small  craft; 
but  the  foreign  ships  in  port  rode  out  the  storm  in 
safety.  The  city  had  not  suffered  much,  as  the  houses 
were  well  built,  thanks  to  a  previous  typhoon  that  had 
demolished  the  poorly-constructed  city  of  a  former 
period;  but  the  streets  were  blockaded  with  shutters  and 
the  debris  of  verandas,  and  other  extra  trimmings, 
while  the  market  place  was  swept  clean  of  its  booths 
and  the  stalls  of  the  money  changers. 

The  men-of-war  stationed  at  Chefoo  cruised  out- 
side for  several  days,  rendering  assistance  to  all  they 
met,  and  towing  into  port  the  dismasted  that  were  for- 
tunate enough  to  be  picked  up. 

The  Captain's  wife  did  not  show  as  much  anxiety 
after  the  storm  as  she  did  before,  which  was  surprising 
to  Mrs.  Wylie,  who  carefully  avoided  any  mention  of 
the  typhoon  and  its  probable  results.  She  watched  the 
men-of-war  as  they  left  the  harbor,  and  knew  their  mis- 
sion. She  saw  them  return  with  the  unfortunate  ships 


110  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

in  tow  and  knew  that  her  husband's  ship  was  no: 
among  them. 

"  One  of  those  ships  may  be  your  husband's,"  said 
Mrs.  Wylie,  as  they  sat  at  the  window  watching  the 
men-of-war  as  they  brought  their  tows  up  to  the  anchor- 
age. 

"No,"  she  replied,  "my  husband's  ship  was  dis- 
mantled in  the  storm,  and  is  now  making  her  way 
to  port  under  jury  mast,  and  it  will  be  a  long  time 
before  I  shall  hear  from  him;  but  the  ship  is  safe 
and  he  is  all  right."  This,  said  in  such  a  quiet, 
assuring  manner,  caused  Mrs.  Wylie  to  look  with 
surprise  at  her  guest.  Not  noticing  the  astonishment 
of  her  friend,  for  her  thoughts  were  far  away,  the 
Captain's  wife  continued  in  the  same  soft  tone,  "On 
the  night  of  the  typhoon  I  was  on  board  the  ship, 
and  the  stars  were  shining  overhead,  but  such  a  fear- 
ful sea,  and  oh!  such  darkness  all  around,  made 
more  appalling  by  the  circular  patch  of  clear  sky 
directly  overhead.  But  this  did  not  last  long;  the 
wind  struck  the  ship  and  she  was  thrown  down. 
The  masts  gave  way  and  she  righted,  and  after  a 
while  the  wind  went  down.  When  I  awoke  it  was 
daylight." 

"My  dear  child,"  said  Mrs.  Wylie,  we  were  much 
surprised  and  greatly  relieved  when  you  fell  asleep 
a  little  before  midnight,  and  we  were  careful  not  to 
awaken  you.  But  what  a  remarkable  dream,  and  X 


s.  WTL/E,  MISSIOXART  111 

believe  every  word  of  it.  Our  Heavenly  Father  knows 
how  much  we  can  bear,  but  how  do  you  know  the 
ship  is  under  jury  masts,  as  you  call  them,  and  what 
are  they,  anyway?" 

"Well,"  replied  the  Captain's  wife,  smiling  at  the 
earnestness  of  her  friend,  "  I  was  bom  on  the  coast 
of  New  England ;  my  father  and  my  brothers  are 
sailors.  I  married  a  sailor  and  have  passed  several 
years  on  shipboard,  and  am  familiar  with  nautical 
terms  and  usage.  Jury  masts  are  spars  rigged  up  in 
place  of  those  that  have  been  carried  away.  The 
ship  cannot  make  much  progress  under  these  impro- 
vised masts  and  sails,  and  it  will  take  a  much  longer 
time  for  the  ship  to  reach  her  port  of  destina- 
tion." 

"Well,  dear,"  replied  Mrs.  Wylie,  "I  don't 
know  much  about  jury  ,  masts  or  any  other  masts, 
but  I  am  glad  you  have  the  assurance  of  your  hus- 
band's safety.  That  being  settled,''  she  said  gayly, 
"you  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  get  well." 

The  Captain's  wife  improved  rapidly  under  the 
motherly  care  of  Mrs.  Wylie,  and  the  quieting  in- 
fluence pervading  the  mission  house  was  soothing 
to  the  exhausted  nerves,  and  when  she  received  a 
message  from  her  husband  to  meet  him  at  Swatow, 
she  was  able  to  make  the  trip  and  as  she  stood  on 
the  deck  of  the  steamer,  ready  to  sail,  taking  leave  of 


112  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

her  kind  friends,  she  was  cheerful  if  not  happy. 
The  joyful  news  of  her  husband's  arrival  at  Amoy, 
and  the  prospects  of  meeting  him  in  a  few  days 
lessened  the  sorrow  she  felt  in  parting  with  the  dear 
old  lady  who  had  been  a  mother  to  her  in  her 
greatest  affliction. 


CHAPTER    XI. 
FIGHT  WITH  PIRATES 

'"pnE  ship  had  been  thoroughly  overhauled,  and  re- 
^  fitted  with  spars,  rigging,  and  sails,  and  more 
to  please  the  sailors  than  anything  else,  she  now  hard 
skysail  yards  crossed.  The  last  back  stay  had  been 
set  down,  and  the  yards  squared  by  lifts  and  braces. 
The  sailors,  after  their  hard  day's  work,  were  loung- 
ing about  on  the  topgallant  forecastle,  silently  ad- 
miring their  own  handiwork.  Old  Tom,  breaking  the 
silence  with  his  usual  preface  to  all  important  ques- 
tions, said,  "  Man  an'  boy  I've  sailed  salt  water  nigh 
onto  forty  years,  an'  never  erboard  er  skysail  yarder, 
but  they  look  more  like  broomsticks,  an'  carries  er 
sail  'bout  the  size  of  er  ole  woman's  apron." 

"Avast  heaving,  mate,"  said  the  new  hand  who 
had  taken  rank  next  to  old  Tom  as  a  deep  water 
sailor  and  yarn  spinner,  and  was  familiarly  called 
Jack,  "the  ole  man  only  put  them  sticks  across  to 
please  us,  an'  you  set  us  to  wantin'  'em.  When  we 
goes  aft  what  did  the  ole  man  say  ? " 

"Why,"  said  Tom,  "he  kinder  smiles  an'  says. 

("3) 


114  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

'  Well,  boys,  if  ye  wants  to  take  care  of  'em,  up 
they  goes.'" 

"That's  right,  mate,"  said  Jack,  "but  the  ole 
man  knows  we'll  get  tired  of  'em  playthings.  Just 
that  more  top-hamper  to  take  care  of." 

"True,  mate,"  replied  Tom,  "they  hain't  no  use, 
but  it  makes  the  ole  girl  look  lofty  an'  kind  er  stately 
like,  an'  we  takes  no  back  water  now  from  any  ship 
erfloat. "  Then,,  as  if  the  skysail  yards  were  a  re- 
flection upon  his  judgment  as  a  practical  sailor,  he 
looked  down  the  harbor  and  continued,  ' '  I  wonder 
when  the  ole  man  an'  Missus  will  pull  into  port? 
He's  been  gone  er  week." 

"Can't  tell,"  said  Jack,  reflectively  biting  off  a 
chew  of  navy.  "  Missus  is  comin'  by  the  way  of 
Swatow  on  one  of  'em  hot-water  craft  loaded  to  hei 
scuppers  with  oil  cake  an'  peas,  steamers  they  calls 
'em,"  rising  to  his  feet.  "  sposen  the  biler  busts,  or 
some  of  'em  cogwheels  gets  out  er  geer,  where'd 
she  be?" 

"They'd  rig  up  jury  mast  an'  get  into  port  way 
we  did,"  said  Tom,  with  an  air  of  superior  knowl- 
edge. 

"Rig  up  jury  mast,"  slowly  repeated  Jack  con- 
temptuously, then  to  the  group  of  sailors,  ignoring 
Tom,  "There's  no  sailors  erboard  them  teapots. 
Just  er  lot  er  Ian'  lubbers,  me-can-iks  they  calls  'em, 
an'  coal  heavers.  They  don't  know  er  spanker  boom 


FIGHT  WITH  PIRATES  115 

from  er  jackstay,  an'  them  steamboats  just  creep 
along  through  the  water  as  if  they's  shamed  to  be  er- 
float,  an'  er  topsail  breeze  washes  the  seas  over  'em 
like  er  half  tide  rock.  Guess  Missus  '11  be  glad  to 
get  erboard  er  ship  ag'n." 

Jack  had  struck  the  right  chord  for  the  old  sailing 
ship  sailors,  and  Tom  was  losing  caste,  but  he  was 
too  old  a  sailor  to  be  caught  on  the  wrong  tack. 

"That's  square  in  the  wake,  mates,"  said  Tom, 
covering  the  bowl  of  his  pipe  with  the  palm  of  his  hand, 
and  pulling  hard,  "I  kinder  thinks  we  oughter  give 
Missus  some  kin'  of  er  reception  when  she  comes  er- 
board. ' ' 

"That's  true,  mates,"  said  Jack,  "but  what  shall  we 
do?  We  can't  have  no  jollification  till  we  fin'  Harry." 

"  Let's  go  aft  an'  see  the  mate,"  said  Tom,  "we 
must  do  the  square  thing." 

"  Well,  men,  what  can  I  do  for  you;  want  to  go  on 
shore?  "  asked  Mr.  Baker,  as  the  ship's  company  lined 
up  on  the  quarter-deck. 

"  No  sir,"  said  Tom,  "  we  don't  wants  to  go  ashore; 
we  wants  your  advice.  We  wants  to  pay  our  respects 
to  Missus  when  she  gets  on  board,  an'  we  don't  wants 
to  crowd  too  much  sail  on  the  wrong  tack,  but  we 
wants  to  show  her  that  we  is  glad  she's  got  back,  an' 
don't  want  to  show  any  disregard  to  her  feelin's  on 
account  of  Harry." 

"  Very  kind  and  considerate  of  you,  men,"  said  Mr. 


116  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

Baker  sympathetically,  "I  will  think  the  matter  over 
and  have  a  talk  with  you  in  the  morning.  We  will 
all  join  in  the  welcome  to  Missus." 

"We  all  has  wages  due  us,  sir.  We  wants  every- 
thing shipshape,  an'  don't  care  for  the  cost,  an'  we  all 
wants  to  pay  our  shares,"  said  Jack. 

"All  right,  men,"  said  Mr.  Baker.  "Captain  and 
Missus  will  be  in  tomorrow  afternoon,  and  we  will 
manage  something  that  will  be  proper." 

"Can't  depend  on  them  steamers,  sir,"  said  Jack. 
Then  saluting  the  officer  the  crew  went  forward,  well 
pleased  with  the  result  of  their  mission  aft. 

"  Mail  boat  from  Swatow,"  said  Mr.  Baker,  slowly 
reading  the  signal  displayed  on  the  flagstaff  of  the 
signal  station,  which  greatly  relieved  the  sailors  who 
were  togged  out  in  their  shore  clothes,  nervously  await- 
ing the  arrival  of  Missus.  The  men  were  having  a 
holiday,  and  the  ship  was  dressed  with  flags  from 
jib  boom  end  to  spanker  boom.  All  the  captains  in 
port,  knowing  the  sad  circumstances  connected  with 
the  loss  of  little  Harry,  and  following  the  example 
or  Mr.  Baker,  dressed  their  own  ships,  which  gave 
the  harbor  a  gala  day,  but  quiet,  appearance. 

As  the  mail  boat  steamed  up  slowly  between  the 
tiers  of  ships  that  lay  moored  on  both  sides  of  the 
channel,  flags  were  dipped  by  each  ship  in  turn  as 
the  steamer  passed  them,  much  to  the  surprise  cf 
the  captain  and  passengers  of  the  mail  boat,  who 


FIGHT   WITH  PIRATES  117 

wondered  what  great  personage  they  had  on  board 
to  whom  such  honors  were  due.  It  was  not  honor 
to  great  achievement,  it  was  not  honor  to  rank  or 
nobility;  but  it  \vas  the  silent  hearts'  response  to  the 
father  and  mother  in  their  great  grief.  It  was  that 
human  sympathetic  chord  whose  vibrations  were  felt 
by  every  one  in  touch  with  it. 

As  the  Captain's  wife  entered  the  cabin  she  gave 
one  glance  around,  then  sat  down  and  cried.  The 
cabin  was  transformed  into  a  veritable  bower  of  roses, 
and  over  the  door  of  her  stateroom  the  word  ' '  Wel- 
come" artistically  worked  out  in  white  roses,  with  a 
green  background.  This  was  the  sailors'  reception. 
When  she  could  control  her  emotions  the  sailors  were 
called  into  the  cabin  and  received  heartfelt  thanks 
from  Missus  and  the  Captain.  Tom  felt  as  if  the 
occasion  called  for  some  kind  of  a  speech,  and  bracing 

himself  began,  "Man  an' "  but  a  nudge  from  Jack 

checked  his  preamble.  He  tried  to  begin  again,  but 
failed.  Jack,  feeling  as  if  the  honor  of  the  fore- 
castle was  at  stake,  took  the  floor,  but  after  several 
attempts  to  frame  an  opening  remark,  he  blurted  out, 
"Did  ye  like  that  steamboat,  Missus?" 

"No,  Jack,"  said  Missus  smiling,  "I  never  want 
to  step  on  board  a  steamship  agaii  ,  and  I  am  glad  to 
get  back  to  our  own  ship  once  more." 

"Didn't  I  tell  ye  so,  mates?"  said  Jack  trium- 
phantly. Then  paying  their  respects  to  Missus  tLc 


118  RESCUED  BT  A    PRIXCE 

sailors  left  the  cabin,  well  pleased  with  their  part  of 
"  Missus'  reception. " 

Leaving  the  harbor  of  Amoy  the  ship  sailed  for 
Surabaya,  on  the  east  coast  of  Java.  She  took  the 
northeast  monsoon,  which  for  a  month  or  more  had 
been  blowing  strong  in  the  northern  part  of  the  China 
Sea,  and  the  Captain,  feeling  assured  that  the  peri- 
odical wind,  extending  to  the  Straits  of  Sunda,  had 
set  in  for  its  regular  term  of  six  months,  looked  forward 
to  a  quick  and  pleasant  passage. 

Although  piracy  in  its  boldest  form  had  been  sup- 
pressed since  the  advent  of  steamships,  yet  it  was 
extremely  dangerous  for  unprotected  ships,  if  caught 
near  the  land.  War  ships  of  all  nations  were  stationed 
in  the  principal  ports,  and  made  frequent  cruises,  but 
could  give  no  protection  to  a  ship,  becalmed,  among 
the  islands,  under  cover  of  darkness. 

The  direct  route  down  the  China  Sea  lay  close 
to  the  eastermost  and  largest  island  of  an  extensive 
group  off  the  Gulf  of  Tonquin,  and  the  Captain  had 
no  reason  to  change  from  the  regular  course.  With 
the  strong  northeast  monsoon  there  was  no  danger 
of  pirates,  either  in  the  large  junks  or  in  small 
canoes,  boarding  his  fast  ship.  The  wind  held  strong 
with  a  high  barometer  and  no  indication  of  a  change. 

On  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  from  Amoy 
land  was  sighted,  and  as  the  Captain  desired  to  im- 
prove the  opportunity  to  gain  some  idea  of  an  island 


FIGHT  WITH  PIRATES  119 

of  which  no  mention,  except  to  location,  was  made 
in  any  nautical  work,  he  changed  his  course  so  as 
to  run  within  a  mile  of  the  coast. 

With  the  exception  of  huge  mountain-like  cumulus 
low  on  the  southwest  horizon,  the  sky  was  clear; 
but  the  barometer  fell  slightly  while  the  thermome- 
ter rose,  yet  the  wind  continued  fresh  and  there 
was  no  apparent  reason  why  the  island  would  not 
be  left  far  astern  before  dark. 

"I  don't  like  the  looks  of  that  mass  of  round- 
heads in  the  southwest,"  said  Mr.  Baker,  as  he 
professionally  scanned  the  horizon. 

"  It  does  look  as  if  the  northeast  monsoon  was 
not  quite  sure  of  its  position  yet,  but  I  guess  she 
will  knock  out  the  southwester,"  replied  the  Cap- 
tain. But  what  a  magnificent  island  !  The  prettiest 
spots  on  earth  are  peopled  by  savages,"  this  reflec- 
tively, "but  then  civilization  destroys  all  natural 
beauty,  anyway,  and  what  does  it  give  in  return? 
What  charming  scenery  !  I  never  got  such  a  fine 
view  of  this  island  before;  too  bad  we  can't  spare 
the  time  to  go  ashore." 

"I  wish  we  were  farther  off  shore,  sir,"  said 
Mr.  Baker,  reprovingly,  "distance  would  lend  en- 
chantment to  my  view  at  least,  especially  so  on  ac- 
count of  Missus." 

The  Captain,  net  well  pleased  with  the  tone  and 
remark  of  his  old  and  tried  officer,  replied  in  no 


120  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

pleasant  manner:  "With  all  due  respect  to  your  judg- 
ment as  an  old  sailor,  I  don't  see  any  great  danger 
in  running  this  coast  down  close  aboard ;  and  more, 
sir,  it  is  my  duty  to  make  note  of  all  islands  in  my 
course  and  report  my  observations  to  the  Nautical 
office  at  Washington  for  the  general  benefit  of  navi- 
gation," and  he  looked  over  the  ship's  side,  then  at 
Mr.  Baker.  "Pirates  would  soon  quit  business  if  they 
depended  upon  ships  in  a  breeze  like  this,  and  it  don't 
slack  up  a  bit." 

"Neither  will  it,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Baker  earnestly, 
"till  we  run  plump  into  the  calm.  The  fact  is,  sir, 
the  monsoons  are  fighting,  and  when  we  get  between 
the  two  contending  winds  there  will  be  a  dead  calm, 
which  may  last  for  hours." 

"You  are  right,  sir,"  said  the  Captain,  "  as  to  the 
conflict  of  opposing  winds,  and  the  only  question  is 
the  location  of  the  aerial  battle,  which  I  believe  is 
a  long  way  from  this  island.  The  northeaster  has 
been  blowing  steady  for  a  month,  and  did  you  ever 
know  her  to  let  go  for  the  southwester  after  she 
got  such  a  start  ?  ' ' 

"Not  ordinarily,  Captain,  but  you  see  the  ty- 
phoon broke  up  the  souwester,  and  the  noreaster 
started  in  a  mouth  ahead  of  time  ;  and  while  she  has 
been  broke  up  several  times  and  held  pretty  steady, 
up  north,  for  three  or  four  weeks  she  hasn't  forced 
her  way  down  sea  yet."  Then  coming  close  to  the 


FIGHT  WITH  PIRATES  121 

Captain  and  speaking  in  a  low  tone,  he  continued, 
"if  we  get  becalmed  off  this  island  you'll  have  more 
observations  to  report  to  the  Nautical  office  for  the 
benefit  of  navigation,  and  there  will  not  be  so  ma'ny 
pirates  in  this  part  of  the  world  by  daylight  tomor- 
row morning.  I  have  met  them  before.  They  are 
nothing  more  or  less  than  wild  men,  but  they  will 
fight  like  devils.  They  haven't  much  to  fight  with, 
and  if  it  was  not  for  Mis  —  lyook  at  that  smoke!" 

Tlu  Captain,  looking  toward  the  south  end  of  the 
island,  saw  a  perpendicular  column  of  gray  smoke, 
and  a  calm  streak  extending  a  long  distance  off  shore. 
"Stand  by  the  starboard  braces!"  he  ordered,  losing 
all  interest  in  the  beautiful  island  and  his  report  for 
the  benefit  of  navigation,  while  a  look  of  alarm  was 
plainly  discernible.  ' '  Let  go  and  haul  —  brace  up 
sharp  on  the  wind  !  "  Then  to  the  man  at  the  wheel, 
"Full  and  by,  with  a  rap  full  1 " 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  responded  the  sailor;  then  low  to 
his  watchmate  just  relieving  the  wheel,  ,"  Guess  the 
ole  man's  found  that  a'ril  battlefield." 

The  rattling  of  blocks  and  creaking  of  yards  brought 
the  Captain's  wife  on  deck,  and  to  her  look  of  inquiry 
the  Captain  replied  in  the  most  casual  manner,  "  The 
current  is  setting  us  in  too  near  the  land,  and  I  am 
hauling  off  shore. "  She  did  not  show  any  alarm,  and, 
the  sea  being  rough,  soon  went  below.  The  ship,  un- 
der a  heavier  pressure,  by  -  being  brought  up  to  the 


12:2  RESCUED  BI~  A   PRINCE 

wind,  was  crawling  off  shore  in  fine  style,  while  the 
calm  streak  which  had  so  alarmed  the  Captain,  was 
growing  wider  and  gradually  creeping  up  to  the  ship. 

"The  winds  are  in  for  a  fight,  and  so  are  we," 
said  Mr.  Baker.  "  If  that  calm  streak  would  come 
faster  we  might  get  the  sou  wester  on  the  other  side 
of  the  calm.  She  has  pretty  near  found  her  match, 
and  won't  go  much  farther,  but  will  lay  and  fight  the 
noreaster,  and  we  may  lay  becalmed  till  after  mid- 
night." 

The  ship  had  made  but  two  miles  off  shore  when 
the  breeze,  still  blowing,  had  lost  its  force  and  the 
calm  was  close  aboard.  The  sails  hung  loosely  from 
the  yards.  The  ship  lost  steerageway  and  lay  becalmed 
within  three  miles  of  the  island.  The  calm  streak, 
backing  up  to  windward  like  a  prairie  fire,  creeping 
away  from  the  ship,  and  widening  the  space  where  two 
winds  of  great  force  were  waging  a  royal  battle,  pre- 
sented a  wonderful,  but  not  infrequent  natural  phe- 
nomenon. 

Heavy  cumulus  clouds  were  rising  in  the  northeast 
to  meet  those  of  the  southwest,  while  far  up  the  Gulf 
of  Tonquin  was  another  huge  mass  of  the  same  forma- 
tion, resembling  snow-capped  mountains,  and  close 
aboard  the  island,  with  its  thick  green  foliage  relieved 
by  innumerable  slender  columns  of  smoke  indicating 
its  dense  population. 

Night    came   on.     The   northeast    clouds   gradually 


FIGHT  WITH  PIRATES  123 

ascended  toward  the  zenith,  while  the  bank  in  the 
southwest  remained  stationary ;  but  the  well-defined 
outlines  of  the  beautiful  cumulus  in  the  northwest 
softened  and  took  on  the  form  of  the  nimbus,  or  rain 
clouds. 

"The  blackest  night,  sir,  I  ever  saw,"  said  Mr. 
Baker,  as  the  Captain,  coming  out  of  the  cabin,  ran 
into  the  officer  in  the  darkness. 

"It  does  look  wild,"  replied  the  Captain,  looking 
around  overhead,  "but  it  will  prevent  those  pirates 
from  finding  us,  and  we  will  certainly  get  the  wind 
before  a  great  while." 

' '  Yes,  sir, ' '  said  Mr.  Baker,  ' '  and  I  wish  she  was 
here  now.  I  don't  like  this  helpless  condition  so  close 
to  that  infernal  island." 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you,  Mr.  Baker?"  asked 
the  Captain,  "You  are  getting  as  nervous  as  my  wife. 
Are  all  hands  going  crazy  ?  and  is  this  ship  a  floating 
lunatic  asylum  ?  ' ' 

"With  all  respect,  Captain,  and  I  know  my  place, 
Missus  would  not  get  so  nervous  if  you  paid  more  at- 
tention to  what  she  says.  She  wanted  you  to  west- 
ward these  islands  and  she  is  as  good  a  navigator  as 
we  are,  and  knew  that  one  route  was  as  favorable  as 
the  other.  There  are  not  pirates  enough  on  any  other 
island  of  this  group  to  man  a  boat.  You  would  not 
have  found  much  to  report  for  the  benefit  of  naviga- 
tion, but  you  would  not  have  run  any  risk." 


124  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

The  Captain  did  not  resent  the  frank  words  of. 
his  chief  officer,  but  inquiringly  said,  "How  can 
they  pick  up  a  ship  three  miles  from  land  on  a 
night  like  this?  It  is  so  dark  you  can  feel  it,  and 
you  can't  see  the  length  of  the  ship,  and  a  prospect 
of  a  squall  any  moment." 

"They  picked  us  up  before  dark,  sir,  and  have 
not  lost  sight  of  this  ship  since  we  struck  the  calm. 
They,  like  all  savages,  can  see  in  the  night  much 
better  than  civilized  races.  They  are  devils,  and  all 
in  business  with  their  father.  The  large  form  of  the 
ship  will  be  plainly  seen  by  them  while  we  cannot 
discern  the  outlines  of  their  largest  boats.  As  for 
the  prospect  of  a  squall  keeping  them  off  the  water, 
I  have  met  them  in  a  full  topsail  breeze,  ten 
miles  from  land,  just  out  for  a  swim."  Then  speak- 
ing low  as  if  afraid  Missus,  asleep  in  the  cabin, 
might  hear,  he  continued,  "I  believe  we  are  sur- 
rounded now  and  have  been  for  some  time.  I  have 
not  mentioned  it  for  fear  of  alarming  Missus,  but  I 
am  quite  sure  I  heard  the  dip  of  paddles  an  hour 
ago.  I  have  made  all  preparations  and  every  man 
is  armed.  The  big  guns  are  loaded,  but  no  use  in 
the  dark.  We'll  have  to  depend  on  our  revolvers 
and  cutlasses." 

The  Captain  had  great  respect  for  the  judgment 
of  his  trusted  officer,  yet  he  did  not  feel  as  if  there 
was  much  cause  for  alarm.  His  wife  was  asleep  in 


FIGHT  WITH  PIRATES  125 

her  stateroom.  Why  disturb  her  with  idle  fears? 
There  was  nothing  to  do  but  wait  for  the  wind  and 
savages.  "Well,  Mr.  Baker,"  said  the  Captain,  "if 
they  come,  we  will  give  them  a  warm  reception.  We 
seem  to  be  in  for  it  this  voyage,  and  a  fight  more 
or  less  don't  matter,  but  there  is  one  thing  in  our 
favor;  we  are  light  loaded,  and  they  can't  board  us 
only  over  the  bow." 

"That's  right,  sir,  they  can't  climb  up  our  sides, 

but  they  are  tigers, Hear  that,  Captain?"  said 

Mr.  Baker  in  a  whisper.  The  Captain  heard  the 
slow,  soft  dip-dip  and  the  dripping  of  the  water  from 
the  paddles.  The  sound  came  from  all  around.  The 
pirates  were  stealthily  closing  in  on  the  ship. 

"Make  no  noise,"  said  the  Captain,  "but  muster 
all  hands  on  the  topgallant  forecastle." 

Silently  the  men  took  their  places,  the  Captain 
with  them  peering  into  the  darkness,  endeavoring  to 
locate  the  enemy,  and  make  some  estimate  of  their 
number. 

The  clouds  were  becoming  more  dense  and  threat- 
ening, and  it  was  evident  that  the  wind  was  not  far 
off. 

The  boats  gathered  under  the  bows,  and  the  head 
gear  was  crowded  with  savages,  pressing  their  way  to 
and  over  the  bow.  The  ship's  company,  headed  by 
the  Captain,  was  making  a  vigorous  defense  of  the 
ship,  but  the  pirates  sprang  up  everywhere  in  the  dark- 


126  RESCUED  BT  A   PRIXCE 

ness.  Some  were  crawling  in  over  the  cathead,  and 
the  crew  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  topgallant  fore- 
castle and  retreat  abaft  of  the  last  place  of  ingress,  in 
order  to  keep  the  pirates  in  front  of  them  and  preserve 
an  unbroken  front.  This  move  left  the  bows  clear,  and 
the  yelling  savages  poured  in  over  the  topgallant  fore- 
castle unrestricted.  Not  a  man  on  board  expected  to 
come  out  of  that  fight  alive,  but  each  was  determined 
to  sell  his  life  as  dear  as  possible,  and  fought  as  only 
a  man  under  such  circumstances  can.  Step  by  step 
the  gallant  crew  was  forced  back  by  the  howling 
savages,  who  were  being  pressed  forward  by  those 
behind  coming  in  over  the  unprotected  bows.  No 
thought  was  given  to  the  wind.  It  was  fight  until 
the  last  man  fell.  As  the  hard-pressed  ship's  company 
was  forced  back  to  the  break  of  the  quarter,  which 
was  four  feet  high,  they  were  in  a  desperate  condition. 
Unless  they  could  gain  the  quarter-deck  their  time  was 
short,  but  to  break  their  solid  front  across  the  deck 
was  also  fatal.  If  the  quarter-deck  could  be  gained 
they  had  another  chance.  This  could  only  be  accom- 
plished by  the  sacrifice  of  half  the  crew,  but  it  would 
prolong  the  fight  and  kill  more  pirates. 

"Count  off  every  other  man,  Mr.  Baker,"  said  the 
Captain,  "and  make  a  break  for  the  quarter-deck,  and 
sweep  the  decks  with  the  guns ;  we've  that  chance 
left." 

"No,    Captain,"    replied    that  noble  officer,  jerking 


WITH  A  HOWL  OF  TERROR,  EVERY  PIRATE   RUSHED  FOR  THE  RAIL 
AND   LEAPED  OVERBOARD. 


FIGHT  WITH  FIXATES  127 

out  his  words  as  he  dealt  deathblows  in  front  of  him, 
"you  break  for  the  guns  —  remember  Missus  —  a  few 
minutes  don't  make  much  difference  anyway." 

A  flash  of  lightning!  the  fighting  ceased!  and  with 
a  howl  of  terror,  every  pirate  rushed  for  the  rail  and 
leaped  overboard. 

Bewildered,  the  Captain  looked  around  for  the  cause 
of  the  unexpected  termination  of  the  desperate  fight, 
while  the  natives  followed  each  other,  like  a  flock  of 
sheep,  over  the  rail  into  the  sea.  A  second  flash  re- 
vealed the  mystery.  There  on  the  break  of  the  quarter- 
deck stood  the  Captain's  wife  in  a  white  night  robe, 
her  long  dark  hair  waving  in  the  light  wind,  motion- 
less and  white  as  a  marble  statue.  At  the  first  flash 
of  lightning  the  pirates,  who  were  facing  the  quarter- 
deck, caught  sight  of  her,  and  thinking  they  had  seen 
a  ghost,  they  jumped  overboard,  terror-stricken.  With 
the  lightning  came  the  wind,  at  first  a  light  puff  of 
air,  then  a  fresh  squall.  The  ship  was  no  longer  a  help- 
less hulk  at  the  mercy  of  the  pirates;  but  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  wind  was  a  monster  of  destruction  to  the 
fleeing  natives. 

The  incessant  flashes  of  lightning,  illuminating  the 
troubled  waters  for  miles  around,  presented  a  scene 
never  before  witnessed.  There  v/ere  hundreds  of  large 
canoes  with  a  capacity  of  from  five  to  twenty  persons. 
Some  were  bottom  up,  others  tossing  about  on  the  waves 

with   no   hnnd   to   guide  them,    still  others   overloaded, 
9 


128  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

fleeing  for  safety.  Men  were  clinging  to  paddles  and 
overturned  canoes,  and  the  cries  of  the  drowning  could 
be  heard  above  the  rumbling  of  the  thunder.  The  ship, 
with  blood  running  from  her  scuppers  and  leaving  a 
crimson  wake  behind,  and  carrying  destruction  to  all 
in  front  of  her,  was  a  terrible  avenger  of  those  who 
had  fallen  in  defense  of  the  ship.  Wildly  the  ele- 
ments raged  above  and  men  raged  below.  The  crew, 
in  harmony  with  the  environments,  showed  no  mercy. 

Under  the  directions  of  the  Captain,  standing  on 
the  topgallant  forecastle,  the  ship  ran  down  every 
canoe  in  her  path,  and  guided  by  the  lightning, 
chased  them  till  there  was  not  another  one  in  sight. 
The  dead  and  wounded  were  thrown  overboard,  and 
the  raging  waves  washed  away  the  stains  of  that 
fearful  conflict. 

The  whole  male  population  of  the  island  must 
have  been  on  the  water  that  night.  How  many  re- 
turned is  not  known;  but  it  is  an  historical  fact  that 
there  is  one  island  in  the  China  Sea  where  the  women 
greatly  outnumber  the  men.  The  readers  of  these  lines 
will  for  the  first  time  know  the  true  cause. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

MYSTERY 

A  FTER  the  last  piratical  craft  had  been  run  down,  the 
_  Captain  glanced  astern,  and  then,  as  if  satisfied 
with  his  work  of  vengeance,  walked  rapidly  aft  and 
entered  the  cabin,  anxious  to  learn  the  condition  of  his 
wife.  He  had  not  seen  her  since  the  second  flash  of 
lightning,  and  naturally  supposed  she  had  gone  below 
and  that  her  maid  was  in  attendance,  but  did  not 
expect  anything  more  than  what  usually  happened  on 
such  occasions  —  a  deathly  faint  lasting  for  hours.  As 
he  entered  the  main  cabin  he  started  with  surprise. 
There  was  no  one  in  sight,  and  no  sign  of  life  below 
deck.  He  dropped  into  a  chair  and  covered  his  face 
with  his  hands,  as  if  to  shut  out  some  terrible  vision. 
A  moment  only  he  remained  in  that  position,  then 
sprang  from  the  chair  and  rushed  into  his  stateroom 
where  his  wife  lay,  sleeping  as  quietly  as  if  she  had 
been  in  her  mother's  room  at  home,  far  away  from 
pirates  and  cannibals. 

Recovering  from  this  new  surprise,  he  was  much 
relieved  to  find  her  breathing  easily,  with  a  regular 
pulse.  The  maid  was  crouching  in  her  room  with  hair 

(129) 


130  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE  ' 

disheveled  and  gleaming  eyes,  crazed  with  fear.  At 
sight  of  the  Captain  she  rushed  through  the  cabin  door 
and  on  deck,  but  was  caught  by  one  of  the  sailors 
as  she  reached  the  rail  and  was  about  to  plunge  into 
the  sea.  Taking  another  look  at  his  wife,  then  pinch- 
ing himself  to  make  sure  he  was  awake,  and  puzzled 
beyond  expression,  the  Captain  went  on  deck,  wonder- 
ing if  he  really  were  in  his  right  mind,  and  if  the 
whole  terrible  experience  was  not  a  horrible  night- 
mare. 

The  ship  was  bowling  along  under  topsails  and 
main  topgallant  sail.  Everything  was  quiet  and  reg- 
ular. The  man  at  the  wheel  was  silently  performing 
his  duty,  and  Mr.  Baker  walking  the  quarter-deck  as 
if  nothing  unusual  had  happened.  Eight  bells  struck, 
the  watch  changed,  and  the  wheel  relieved  while  the 
Captain  stood  leaning  against  the  wheelhouse,  nearly 
paratyzed  from  the  reaction  of  the  terrible  conflict 
through  which  he  had  passed,  and  the  mysterious  appear- 
ance of  his  wife  on  deck. 

"Have  we  had  a  fight  with  the  natives?"  inquired 
the  Captain  of  Mr.  Baker,  as  he  came  aft  to  take  a  look 
at  the  compass. 

"I  should  say  we  had,  sir,"  replied  the  officer, 
looking  inquiringly  at  the  Captain  while  the  lightning 
flashes  lifted  the  pall  of  darkness. 

"Did  the  pirates  jump  overboard?"  inquired  the 
Captain  in  the  same  measured  tone. 


MTSTERT  131 

"Yes,  sir,  following  each  other  like  a  flock  of 
sheep  ( going  through  a  break  in  a  stonewall,"  replied 
Mr.  Baker,  much  astonished  at  the  questions. 

"What  made  the  cutthroats  in  such  a  great  hurry 
to  get  away  from  a  victory  nearly  won  ? ' ' 

' '  They  thought  they  saw  a  ghost,  sir,  and  if  I 
had  not  thought  it  was  really  Missus  I  would  have 
followed  them,"  answered  the  officer  in  a  low  trem- 
ulous voice. 

' '  Thought  it  was  Missus  ?  Who  else  could  it  have 
been  ? ' '  inquired  the  Captain  absently,  as  if  his 
thoughts  were  far  away. 

"Don't  know,  sir.  It  saved  the  ship,  whatever  it 
was,  and  for  one  I'm  satisfied  without  any  further  in- 
vestigation. Queer  things  happen  this  voyage,  sir,  but 
we're  still  afloat." 

"  What  reason  have  you  to  believe  that  it  was  not 
my  wife  ?  ' '  inquired  the  Captain. 

"Come  down  to  leeward,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Baker;  then 
in  a  low,  solemn  tone,  and  pointing  to  the  man  at  the 
wheel,  he  continued,  "I  don't  want  any  of  the  men  to 
hear,  but  when  that  second  flash  came  I  saw  Missus 
standing  right  above  me  on  the  break  of  the  quarter 
just  like  a  statue.  Her  hair  was  blowing  out  in  the 
light  air,  and  knowing  how  such  tea  parties  usually 
affect  her,  after  they  are  all  over,  I  ran  up  the  steps, 
and  as  she  did  not  move  I  was  afraid  she  was  going 
off  in  one  of  her  spells.  I  just  went  to  take  her 


132  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

in  my  arms  to  cany  her  below,  and  Great  Neptune! 
There  was  nothing  there.  My  hair  stood  on  ends, 
and  the  chills  ran  over  me  like  the  shagus  fever, 
and  I  haven't  got  through  shaking  yet.  I  had  rather 
have  that  fight  over  again,  and  take  the  same  chances 
than  another  experience  of  that  kind.  I  would  fight 
the  devil,  sir,  if  he  came  at  me  shipshape,  but  it 
makes  one  creepy  to  tackle  a  Flying  Dutchman  sort 
of  a  craft." 

"She  must  have  gotten  away  in  the  darkness  and 
reached  the  cabin  unobserved,  for  she  is  now  quietly 
sleeping  in  her  berth." 

"Impossible,  Captain;  the  forward  cabin  doors 
were  locked,  and  she  could  not  have  passed  the  light 
from  the  binical  without  me  seeing  her,"  said  Mr. 
Baker  in  a  very  decided  manner. 

"  Do  you  think  any  of  the  men  noticed  the  mys- 
terious disappearance  of  what  all  hands  thought  was 
my  wife?"  inquired  the  Captain,  thoroughly  aroused 
at  the  prospect  of  more  trouble. 

' '  Yes,  sir,  several  of  the  men  must  have  seen  the 
same  thing." 

' '  How  are  the  poor  fellows  getting  along  ? "  in- 
quired the  Captain,  anxious  to  change  the  subject. 

"Very  well  indeed,  sir.  Every  man  is  scratched 
more  or  less,  some  pretty  bad,  but  none  are  danger- 
ously hurt.  Those  devils  had  nothing  but  knives, 
and  poor  ones  at  that,  but  like  a  pack  of  wolves  they 


MTSTERT  t        133 

would  soon  have  made  an  end  of  us  if  it  had  not  been 
for  the  friendly  ghost  which  the  pirates  hadn't  reckoned 
on.  How  do  you  explain  it,  Captain?  " 

"  It  cannot  be  explained.  I  know  no  more  about  it 
than  you,  and  my  wife  cannot  tell  you  any  more.  She 
is  a  remarkable  woman,  with  a  mysterious  organization. 
I  have  not  only  read  of  such  cases,  but  am  natu- 
rally interested  in  them,  and  long  ago  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  if  I  could  not  understand  some  things 
it  was  no  proof  they  were  not  true.  Our  knowledge  is 
limited  and  every  new  thing  is  a  mystery.  lyet  us 
look  at  this  from  a  philosophical  standpoint.  Take 
this  voyage;  my  wife  had  a  remarkable  presentiment 
of  what  was  to  happen,  call  it  intuition,  coincidence, 
it  don't  matter;  the  fact  is  it  did  happen.  This  was 
the  first  conflict  of  the  soul,  we  will  call  it,  with 
the  body.  After  the  encounter  with  the  convicts  she 
went  off  into  what  we  called  a  swoon,  which  lasted 
for  hours,  and  she  was  totally  unconscious.  This 
was  another  psychological  conflict,  in  which  the  soul1 
did  not  win,  but  left  the  body  in  a  weakened  con- 
dition, and  less  able  to  resist  the  next  attack  which 
occurred  at  the  loss  of  little  Harry.  This  time  the 
mystic  chord  was  nearly  severed.  Again,  she  visited 
the  ship  on  the  night  of  the  typhoon,  while  her 
friends  in  Chefoo  thought  she  was  peacefully  sleep- 
ing. This  time  there  was  no  severe  struggle  and 
no  bad  results.  Tonight  she  appeared  on  deck  while 


134  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

her  body  was  apparently  asleep  in  the  cabin,  and 
she  probably  will  not  awake  till  morning.  You  have 
known  her  for  years,  and  have  seen  her  under  the 
most  trying  circumstances,  but  you  have  never  seen 
her  show  any  fear  or  apprehension  of  danger  before 
this  voyage.  Up  to  that  time  she  displayed  great 
physical  courage,  but  when  this  psychical  entity  that 
me^p  call  the  soul  began  to  dominate,  then  came 
presentiments,  which  produced  fear  in  an  already 
weakened  physical  organization.  But  when  the  psy- 
chical power  obtained  full  control  of  the  physical,  all 
fear  vanished;  for  the  soul  is  fearless,  and  the  body 
no  longer  suffers.  These  incidents  which  you  have  wit- 
nessed, and  many  others  that  you  know  nothing  about, 
are  to  me  the  unfolding  process  in  the  development  of 
a  higher  organization  of  which  the  world  knows  but 
little,  but  is  slowly  awakening  under  its  mysterious 
influence. ' ' 

Mr.  Baker  listened  very  attentively  until  the  Cap- 
tain had  finished,  then  asked,  "Don't  you  think, 
sir,  that  the  soul  is  a  separate  thing  from  the  body, 
and  that  it  lives  forever,  as  the  preachers  say?" 

"Man  is  dual,"  replied  the  Captain,  "physical 
and  psychical.  All  agree  on  the  physical  man,  but 
there  is  a  variety  of  opinions  as  to  the  psychical. 
It  will  be  no  easy  matter  to  overcome  the  accumu- 
lated errors  of  centuries,  but  truth  will  prevail,  and 
the  race  will  rise  to  a  higher  plane.  This  is  the 


MTSTERT  135 

law  that  advanced  thinkers  are  forced  to  recog- 
nize." 

' '  How  is  it  possible  for  Missus  to  sleep  after  she 
knows  what  has  happened  ? ' '  inquired  Mr.  Baker. 

' '  There  is  no  fear  or  anxiety  in  the  psychical 
entity,  and  separated  from  the  psychical,  the  body  is 
inert  matter.  When  this  soul  essence  again  forms  a 
harmonious  connection  with  the  physical,  causing  no 
derangement,  the  body  sleeps  on  as  if  nothing  had 
happened,  but  when  the  rational  faculties  are  natu- 
rally aroused,  on  awakening,  the  whole  scene,  as  wit- 
nessed by  the  soul,  is  vividly  portrayed  through  the 
medium  of  the  body." 

"I  suppose  that  is  all  right,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Baker, 
"but  if  you  think  I  can  understand  such  highferluten 
talk  as  that,  you  must  have  forgotten  that  I  am  not 
fresh  from  school,  and  you  won't  be  so  fresh  when 
you  have  been  on  the  briny  for  nearly  fifty  years. 
I  don't  know  whether  that  talk  answered  my  question, 
or  whether  you  were  rehearsing  a  sermon  to  preach  in 
the  next  missionary  station." 

"Well,"  replied  the  Captain,  smiling,  "  what  I  tried 
to  make  you  understand  was  this  :  no  matter  what  the 
soul  may  be,  the  body  seems  an  absolute  necessity  for 
its  utility  ;  no  matter  how  much  information  it  may 
acquire  in  its  wanderings  through  space,  it  must  report 
through  the  physical  organization." 

"Is   that   all?"    said    Mr.   Baker,  and   he  left  the 


136  RESCUED  #r  A  PRINCE 

deck  for  his  four  hours'  watch  below,  saying  to  him- 
self, ' '  The  Captain  talks  like  a  preacher,  and  with 
just  about  as  much  sense." 

The  Captain  walked  the  deck  all  night,  occasion- 
ally going  below  to  see  if  his  wife  was  all  right.  The 
morning  broke  fine,  with  a  stiff  northeast  monsoon. 
This  time  it  had  come  to  sta)',  and  there  was  no  fear 
of  the  southwester  disputing  its  sway.  The  mist  of 
the  morning  was  driving  away  while  the  Captain,  in  a 
listless,  meditative  mood,  was  watching  the  clouds  in 
the  east  continuously  changing  their  color  through  all 
the  shades  from  gray  to  red,  as  the  sun  rose  out  of 
the  water.  Thinking  it  about  time  for  his  wife  to 
awake,  he  turned  to  go  below,  when  to  his  great  sur- 
prise she  was  standing  beside  him,  and  before  fce  could 
recover  himself  she  clutched  his  arm. 

"  O,  Frank!  It  was  just  awful!  How  are  the 
men  getting  along?"  she  inquired,  anxiously  looking 
into  her  husband's  face. 

"They  are  all  doing  well,"  said  the  Captain,  re- 
garding her  with  reverential  gratitude,  and  adding, 
' '  but  we  would  have  been  under  the  briny  before  this 
time  if  it  had  not  been  for  your  timely  and  mysterious 
appearance.  Can  you  tell  me  anything  about  it,  or  do 
you  prefer  not  to  talk  ? ' ' 

"  I  want  to  tell  you  all  I  know  about  it.  It  is  so 
strange,  and  is  as  much  of  a  mystery  to  me  as  it  is  to 
you;  but  we  had  better  go  below,"  she  replied,  with  a 


MTSTERT  137 

questioning  look  at  the  man  at  the  wheel.  As  they  en- 
tered the  cabin  from  the  after  companion  way,  the  steward 
came  in  through  the  forward  entrance  with  the  coffee. 
His  bandaged  head  and  ghostly  face  showed  that  he 
had  suffered  from  the  fight.  Forgetting  all  ceremony, 
and  even  ship's  discipline,  he  grasped  the  hand  of  the 
Captain's  wife  and  reverently  kissed  it,  and  without  a 
word  left  the  cabin. 

' '  The  steward  thinks  it  was  really  you  he  saw  on 
deck,"  said  the  Captain,  "and  I  hope  they  all  think 
so.  But  the  coffee  is  getting  cold." 

"It  is  all  very  strange  to  me,"  she  began,  placing 
her  empty  cup  on  the  tray.  ' '  That  fear  which  has 
haunted  me  so  long  has  gradually  disappeared,  and 
when  we  ran  into  that  calm  off  the  island  I  was  no 
more  concerned  about  it  than  if  we  were  off  Cape  Cod. 
I  retired  as  usual  and  was  soon  asleep.  I  was  awakened 
by  the  yelling  and  scuffling  on  deck.  I  felt  perfectly 
well,  and  tried  to  get  up  and  go  on  deck,  but  I  could 
not  move  a  muscle.  This  did  not  seem  strange,  and 
I  did  not  feel  alarmed,  but  I  wondered  if  you  were 
killed.  Instantly  I  was  on  deck.  I  saw  you  and  Mr. 
Baker  and  the  rest  of  the  men,  and  watched  the  fight 
without  the  least  fear.  I  felt  certain  the  savages 
would  not  take  the  ship,  but  did  not  know  what 
could  happen  .  to  prevent  them  from  accomplishing 
their  purpose.  There  were  so  many  against  you,  the 
decks  were  full  of  them,  and  others  coming  in  over 


138  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

the  bows,  while  all  around  the  ship  were  canoes 
filled  with  men.  I  simply  knew  they  would  not  take 
the  ship,  and  had  no  desire  to  reason  it  out.  When 
the  flash  of  lightning  came  the  savages  saw  me,  but 
none  of  our  men  did,  for  they  were  back  toward 
me.  I  saw  the  consternation  of  the  natives,  and 
when  they  rushed  to  the  rail  in  terror.  I  then  realized 
how  the  ship  was  to  be  saved.  With  the  second  flash 
you  and  the  whole  crew  saw  me ;  then  I  wanted  to 
get  away,  but  could  not  move.  Mr.  Baker  rushed 
toward  me  and  just  as  he  went  to  take  hold  of 
me,  I  was  back  in  bed,  still  unable  to  move.  I  knew 
when  you  came  into  the  stateroom,  but  I  had  no 
desire  to  speak.  I  felt  perfectly  at  ease  and  was  soon 
asleep,  and  did  not  awake  till  daylight."  After  a 
moment's  silence  she  continued:  "Let  those  who  can 
explain  it  do  so ;  as  far  as  I  am  concerned  I  have 
not  the  slightest  curiosity.  It  is  a  great  mystery 
and  I  cannot  solve  it." 

"  You  said,  my  dear,  that  there  were  canoes  around 
the  ship  in  great  number.  How  could  you  tell  when 
it  was  so  dark  we  could  not  see  the  length  of  the 
ship  ? ' ' 

"To  me,"  she  replied,  "  it  was  not  dark,  and  I  could 
see  everything  as  clearly  as  in  the  daytime,  even  the 
island  with  its  green  slopes.  But  why  were  you  so 
pleased  with  the  steward's  show  of  gratitude  for 
his  life?" 


MTSTBRT  139 

"  Why,  my  dear,  it  just  proved  to  me  that  the 
steward  fully  believes  that  he  saw  your  real  self  on 
deck  last  night,  and  did  not  see  you  vanish  away  as 
Mr.  Baker  was  about  to  take  you  below." 

The  Captain  talked  with  all  the  men  that  were 
able  to  be  on  duty,  then  visited  those  who  were 
confined  in  the  forecastle,  and  praised  them  for 
their  bravery.  When  he  told  them  that  Missus  would 
visit  them  after  breakfast,  their  faces  lighted  up,  while 
tears  of  which  they  were  not  ashamed  filled  their 
eyes. 

"I  guess  you  are  mistaken  this  time,  Mr.  Baker," 
said  the  Captain,  as  he  joined  the  old  officer  on  the 
quarter-deck  after  visiting  the . men.  "It  is  no  un- 
common thing  to  them  for  '  Missus '  to  come  to  the 
rescue  just  at  the  right  time.  Of  course  this  case 
is  a  little  out  of  the  ordinary,  but  I  guess  they  are 
satisfied  it  was  her  all  right."  -  '. 

"Hope  so,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Baker,  "but  they 
haven't  got  settled  down  to  spinning  yarns  and  swap- 
ping opinions  yet.  Just  wait  for  the  dogwatch  carnival 
of  horrors." 

As  the  officer  did  not  seem  inclined  to  talk,  the 
Captain  asked,  "What  do  you  think  of  this  affair, 
Mr.  Baker?" 

' '  I  think  that  men  will  be  at  a  premium  on  that 
island  for  some  time  to  come.  Don't  believe  Mis- 
sus knows  about  running  those  heathen  canoes  down. 


140  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

She  is  awfully  opposed  to  taking  life  when  you  don't 
have  to,  but,"  with  a  gleam  in  his  eyes,  "didn't  we 
spill  'em?  There  won't  be  any  more  ships  attacked 
off  that  island  till  another  generation  grows  up,  and 
by  that  time  they  may  be  civilized." 

"I  regret  very  much,"  said  the  Captain,  "that 
I  so  far  forgot  myself  as  to  wantonly  destroy  life 
without  any  necessity  for  it,  but"  reflectively,  "it 
proves  that  human  nature  is  alike  whether  civilized 
or  savage,  but  that  was  not  my  question.  What  do 
you  think  of  the  psychical  feature  of  the  case?" 

' '  I  have  forgotten  what  that  word  means,  Cap- 
tain,"  said  the  officer,  twisting  his  mouth  as  if  try- 
ing to  pronounce  it,  "but  if  you  want  to  know 
what  I  think  about  Missus  being  on  deck  and  below 
at  the  same  time,  all  I  have  got  to  say  is  I  don't 
think  and  I  don't  want  to  think;  and  from  what  I 
can  find  out  it  don't  do  any  good  to  think.  You 
don't  know  any  more  about  it  after  you  do  think, 
and  I  shall  not  rack  my  brains  at  my  age  of  life 
over  a  problem  that  all  the  wise  men  of  the  earth 
that  have  nothing  else  to  do,  can't  think  out." 
Then  as  a  clincher,  squaring  himself  before  the  Cap- 
tain, "So  long  as  Missus  takes  her  coffee  and  eats 
her  rations  I  shall  believe  that  she  belongs  to  this 
world,  for  ship's  grub  is  no  angel's  food." 

The  Captain  seemed  to  think  that  there  was  good 
sound  logic  in  the  officer's  argument,  and  did  not 


MrSTERT  141 

ask  him  any  more  questions.  Strong  winds  and  fine 
weather  continued  until  the  ship  took  a  pilot  off  the 
port  and  a  few  hours  later  swung  at  her  anchor  in 
the  beautiful  land-locked  harbor  of  Surabaya,  with  a 
passage  that  furnished  material  enough  for  never- 
ending,  hair-lifting,  dogwatch  yarns  for  generations  to 
come.  But  they  were  of  such  a  startling  nature 
that  it  will  tax  the  ingenuity  of  some  yarn  spinner 
yet  unborn,  to  exaggerate  the  facts,  for  no  language 
can  express  the  horrors  of  that  night;  no  time  can 
efface  it  from  the  memory  of  those  who  participated 
in  it. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 
LEAKY  SHIP 

"yHE  Captain  and  his  wife  took  quarters  on  shore, 
*  in  the  great  commercial  center  of  the  Dutch 
East  Indian  possessions.  Although  the  climate  was 
extremely  hot,  yet  by  following  the  customs  of  the 
old  Dutch  settlers  they  were  very  comfortable,  even 
on  this  tropical  island,  and  passed  a  very  pleasant 
month  while  the  cargo  was  being  discharged  and 
another  taken  on  board. 

The  Captain  greatly  desired  to  load  direct  for 
s*ome  port  in  the  United  States,  but  in  this  he  was 
keenly  disappointed,  and  was  obliged  to  accept  a  cargo 
of  sugar,  and  call  at  Falmouth  or  Cork  for  orders. 

This  would  cause  another  delay,  but  there  was  no 
alternative,  and  he  made  the  best  of  it.  His  wife, 
when  told  of  their  destination,  only  sighed  and  said, 
"We  can't  help  it,"  and  never  mentioned  the  subject 
again. 

The   Captain  visited  the  ship  each   day,    frequently 

accompanied    by    his    wife,    usually    driving   down    the 

well-shaded  road   along  the  river  bank,  in    the  cool  of 

the  morning,    to    the    white    sandy  beach   of    the  har- 

(142) 


LEAKT  SHIP  J43 

bor,  returning  to  town  for  the  night  by  the  ship's 
boat,  up  the  river  to  the  steps  of  the  hotel.  He 
anxiously  watched  the  moods  of  the  men,  and  noticed 
from  time  to  time  that  they  did  not  appear  jovial 
and  light-hearted.  There  was  no  sparkle  in  their 
eyes,  no  song  with  their  work.  With  shore  liberty 
and  plenty  of  money  they  were  not  happy.  While 
performing  their  duty  in  a  listless  way  they  had  lost 
all  interest  in  the  ship,  and  were  growing  moody  and 
more  discontented  each  day.  He  knew  it  was  not  the 
fight  with  the  pirates  that  had  wrought  such  a  change 
in  the  fearless  crew  that  had  sailed  with  him  for 
many  years.  That  might  not  happen  again  in  a  life- 
time, and  the  horrors  of  such  affairs  are  quickly 
forgotten  by  those  who  lead  such  perilous  lives.  But 
these  brave  men  who  would  not  flinch  at  a  deck  load 
of  howling  savages,  or  show  any  fear  of  the  elements 
in  their  wildest  mood,  would  turn  pale  with  supersti- 
tious horror  if  a  Mother  Carey's  chicken  should  fall 
dead  on  deck.  As  the  ship  was  nearly  ready  for  sea, 
the  Captain  was  anxious  to  ascertain  whether  his  men 
were  intending  to  stay  by  the  ship,  or  desert  it  at 
the  last  moment  ;  and  knowing  that  Mr.  Baker  would 
not,  owing  to  his  strict  sense  of  ship  discipline,  ven- 
ture an  opinion  until  it  was  asked  for,  he  called  the 
old  officer  into  the  cabin  and  asked  him  what  he 
thought  of  the  situation.  To  the  Captain's  question, 

"What    is    the    matter   with    the    men?"    he   replied, 
10 


144  RESCi'ED    BY    A     PRINCE 

"Captain,  every  mother's  son  of  them  will  be  bunk- 
ing in  the  hills  inside  of  twenty-four  hours,"  hesitating, 
"excepting  the  steward  and  cook,  and  if  I  am  not 
clear  out  of  my  reckoning,  there  will  be  no  one  but 
the  officers  to  wash  deck  in  the  morning." 

"Why  don't  they  come  aft  like  men  and  say  so 
before  we  are  all  ready  for  sea?"  said  the  Captain, 
wearily  dropping  into  a  chair  with  a  discouraged  look, 
as  if  the  last  straw  was  too  much  for  him. 

"  They  are  ashamed  to,  Captain;  they  don't  want 
to  leave  the  ship,  and  they  have  tried  hard  to  stay. 
They  feel  mean  in  deserting  a  shipmate  in  trouble, 
and  they  all  wanted  to  go  with  you  after  Harry. 
They  don't  care  for  danger  or  hardships  and  had 
rather  have  a  fight  than  a  week's  liberty  with  plenty 
of  money,  but  they  are  thoroughly  convinced  that  this 
ship  is  haunted,  and  that  it  was  a  ghost  and  not 
Missus  they  saw  on  deck  the  night  of  the  fight  with 
the  pirates." 

"Call  the  men  aft,"  said  the  Captain,  rising  and 
going  on  deck,  "this  matter  must  be  settled  at  once. 
Every  day  is  a  year  to  me  —  and  my  boy  with  the 
cannibals. ' ' 

"  Well,  my  noble  fellows,"  said  the  Captain  as 
the  sailors  stood  before  him  with  their  hats  off  and 
downcast  eyes,  ' '  I  understand  you  are  all  going  to 
leave  the  ship. ' ' 

No   one   spoke.     The   poor  fellows   were   facing  an 


LEAKT  SHIP  145 

awkward  problem.  Loyalty  to  the  Captain  and  a  dread 
of  a  supernatural  power,  which  makes  all  men  cowards, 
were  striving  for  the  mastery.  They  looked  at  each 
other,  then  far  away  over  the  harbor,  and  back  again 
to  the  deck,  hitched  up  their  trousers,  but  were  un- 
able to  meet  the  sorrowful  glance  of  their  Captain. 

"Hold  up  your  heads,  men,"  said  the  Captain 
quietly,  "you  have  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of.  You 
are  brave,  noble  fellows,  every  one  of  you.  Choose 
some  one  to  speak  for  you,  and  let  us  settle  this 
question  in  a  shipshape  manner." 

Thus  encouraged  they  held  up  their  heads  and 
with  one  voice  named  old  Tom  as  their  spokesman, 
who,  with  a  hint  from  Jack  to  stow  that  "  Man  an' 
boy"  prelude,  said:  "We  thanks  you,  Captain,  for 
the  compliment,  an'  we  believes  you  means  it,  an' 
we  don't  want  to  leave  er  shipmate  in  trouble,  but 
we  can't  sail  in  er  ha'nted  ship.  Nothin'  but  bad 
can  come  out  of  it.  If  I  owned  this  ship,  sir,  I'd 
set  her  erfire;  nothin'  but  fire  will  rid  er  ship  of 
ghosts.  I  have  seen  lots  of  ha'nted  ships,  sir,"  ex- 
citedly, "an"  they  all  meet  the  same  fate." 

Then  the  old  sailor  became  eloquent  and  related 
half  a  dozen  ghost  stories,  all  ending  in  total  de- 
struction of  the  ship  with  all  on  board;  ships  going 
down  without  any  cause,  waves  raging,  winds  howl- 
ing, despairing  cries  of  the  drowning  men,  with  the 
ghosts  floating  above,  uttering  demoniac  yells  and 


146  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

derisive  laughter.  Tom  stopped,  horrified  with  his 
own  recital,  while  the  sailors  wiped,  with  trembling 
hands,  the  cold  perspiration  from  their  pale  and  hag- 
gard faces.  The  Captain  listened  respectful!}-  till  the 
sailor  had  finished,  but  seeing  how  firmly  rooted  in 
the  minds  of  the  superstitious  sailors  was  the  fear 
of  a  haunted  ship,  and  knowing  it  would  be  useless 
to  reason  with  them,  said,  "  Well,  men,  you  have 
served  me  faithfully  and  devotedly.  I  will  see  what 
I  can  do  for  you.  There  is  a  ship  in  port  bound 
for  Manila  to  load  for  Boston,  whose  crew  would  like 
to  take  ship  direct  to  England,  as  they  have  been 
out  on  a  long  cruise.  I  will  see  if  I  can't  make  an 
exchange  of  men;  but  tell  me  what  makes  you 
think  this  ship  is  haunted?" 

The  men  were  much  affected  by  the  Captain's  gen- 
erous offer,  and  for  a  moment  hesitated,  as  if  un- 
decided whether  to  accept  the  change  or  stay  by  the 
ship ;  but  their  fears  of  a  haunted  ship,  intensified 
by  Tom's  hair-lifting  yarns,  soon  gained  the  mastery 
again. 

"We  all  thinks  at  first,"  said  Tom,  "that  it  was 
Missus  we  seen  on  deck,  yet  some  of  us  thinks  she 
kinder  faded  out  like  instead  of  just  walkin'  away 
like  a  human  bein';  but  we  could  have  got  over  that 
all  right  enough.  The  night  was  dark,  an"  we  was 
all  excited,  an'  none  of  us  could  swear  which  way 
it  was,  but  when  we  finds  out,  for  sure,  Missus  was 


LEAKT  SHIP  147 

in  the  cabin  the  whole  time,  we  knows  she  couldn't 
be  on  deck  at  the  same  time,  an'  Captain,  how  could 
Missus  be  on  deck  an'  in  the  cabin  both  at  the  same 
time  an '  not  dead  ? "  As  the  Captain  did  not  reply, 
Tom  continued,  "An1  when  we  comes  to  think  on 
it,  why  it  didn't  look  like  Missus  at  all,  but  just 
like  the  ghost  of  the  Flyin'  send  that  my  chum  Joe 
Backstay  ust  'er  tell  erbout." 

"But  this  must  have  been  a  friendly  ghost,  for  it 
saved  the  ship  and  all  on  board,"  said  the  Cap- 
tain. 

' '  Just  the  way  the  ghost  of  the  Northern  light 
served  her  crew,  Captain.  Saved  the  ship  from  pi- 
rates, then  sunk  her  in  a  dead  calm.  The  men 
took  to  'the  boats,  an'  the  ghost  just  got  under  the 
boats  an'  turned  them  keel  up,  first  one  then  an- 
other, an'  not  a  man  was  left  to  tell  the  tale.  I 
have  heard  the  yarn  many  a  time.  We  feels  sorry 
for  you  an'  Missus  an'  little  Harry,"  said  the  old 
sailor  sympathetically,  wiping  his  eyes,  while  the  rest 
of  the  sailors  turned  their  heads  away  to  hide  their 
emotions. 

"Tom,"  said  the  Captain  with  a  twinkle  in  his 
eye,  "who  was  left  to  start  that  ghost  story  of  the 
Northern  light  ? ' ' 

"Why,  sir,"  replied  Tom,  "my  chum  Jack  —  Bill 

"  but  Tom  hesitated  and  was  lost.  Realizing  he  had 

overdone  the  ghost  business,  he,  with  Jack's  reprov- 


148  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

ing  glance,  broke  down  completely  and  all  hands  left 
the  quarter-deck. 

"  How  did  those  fellows  find  out  that  my  wife 
was  not  on  deck  that  night  ? ' '  inquired  the  Captain, 
watching  the  men  as  they  turned  to  again. 

"  Bill  told  them,    sir,"  replied    the  officer. 

"How  did   Bill   know  anything  about  it?" 

"  Why,  you  see,  Captain,  Bill  is  sweet  on  Missus' 
maid,  and  she  told  him." 

Bill  was  a  bright  young  sailor,  and,  as  the  officer 
had  said,  an  attachment  had  grown  up  between  the  young 
couple.  The  Captain  had  never  thought  it  necessary  to 
caution  Mary  to  keep  quiet  about  that  night's  affair, 
thinking  she  was  so  frightened  that  she  did  not  know 
much  about  it.  The  Captain  related  to  his  wife  the 
situation  on  board  ship,  and  the  part  Mary  had  acted 
in  the  complication. 

"I  never  knew  of  her  telling  anything  before,  ' 
said  his  wife  quietly,  ' '  I  will  call  her  and  hear  what 
she  has  to  say." 

The  poor  girl  was  greatly  distressed  when  she, 
for  the  first  time,  realized  that  she  had  caused  so 
much  trouble,  and  clung  hysterically  to  her  Mistress, 
repeating,  "  O  !  I  did  not  mean  to  do  anything  wrong," 
unable  to  go  any  further.  But  under  the  soothing  and 
gentle  influence  of  her  Mistress  she  was  soon  able 
to  tell  how  it  happened  that  she  had  so  far  for- 
gotten herself  as  to  carry  a  word  from  the  cabin  to 


LBAKT  SHIP  149 

the  forecastle.  "That  night,"  she  said,  holding  the 
hand  of  her  Mistress,  "all  through  the  fighting  I 
was  sitting  by  Mistress'  bed.  I  could  not  wake  her  up 
and  I  was  so  frightened  I  thought  I  would  go  crazy. 
When  I  heard  the  Captain  coming  down  the  companion 
way  I  thought  he  was  the  savages.  My  brain  was  on 
fire,  and  I  started  for  my  room,  but  I  thought  of 
Mistress  all  alone,  and  I  could  not  leave  her;  so  I 
rushed  back  to  the  foot  of  the  bed  just  as  the  Captain 
opened  the  door.  I  thought  sure  he  was  a  pirate 
coming  to  kill  me.  I  ran  out  and  on  deck;  then  I  did 
not  know  anything  more  till  I  found  myself  in  bed, 
and  I  did  not  know  how  I  got  there  till  Bill  told 
me.  A  long  time  after  that  awful  night  Billie  was 
telling  me  about  that  fight,  and  how  the  pirates 
were  driving  them  aft,  when  Mistress  came  on  deck 
and  frightened  the  natives  so  that  they  jumped  over- 
board. I  was  so  surprised  that  before  I  thought  I 
said,  'Why,  Mistress  was  asleep  in  the  cabin.'  At 
that  I  thought  Billie  would  faint.  He  turned  as  white 
as  a  ghost;  then  I  saw  my  mistake.  O!  I  am  so 
sorry!"  she  exclaimed,  clasping  her  hands  and  looking 
imploringly  at  her  Mistress. 

"My  poor  child,"  said  the  Captain's  wife,  "You 
were  not  to  blame;  you  have  seen  trouble  enough  on 
this  voyage  to  make  any  one  crazy.  Don't  worry  any 
more  about  it." 

"No,    Mary,  you  are  not  to  blame,"  said  the  Cap- 


150  RESCUED  BT  A    PRINCE 

tain,  consolingly.  "You  are  a  brave  good  girl,  and 
show  more  good  sense  than  any  man  on  board,  and 
if  Bill  leaves  the  ship,  ghosts  or  no  ghosts,  I  would 
not  waste  any  affections  on  him." 

The  exchange  of  crews  was  made,  but  before  the 
men  left,  Bill  came  aft  alone,  and  asked  to  see  "  the  old 
man." 

"Well,  Bill,"  said  the  Captain  smiling,  "going  to 
leave  Mary  and  pull  for  another  ship?" 

"No,  sir,"  said  Bill,  blushing,  "not  if  you  will 
let  me  stay  with  you.  I  have  been  the  cause  of 
all  this  trouble,  but  I  did  not  mean  any  harm,  sir, 
and  never  thought  it  would  go  so  far.  But  it  does 
make  a  fellow  kind  of  creepy  like  to  hear  all  those 
ghost  stories.  Do  you  believe  in  ghosts,  sir  ? " 

"No,  Bill,  I  don't  believe  in  ghosts,  and  have 
never  seen  any  proof  that  there  is  anything  to  ap- 
pear after  a  person  is  dead.  I  am  glad  to  have  you 
stay,  but  you  must  get  above  the  old  superstition 
of  sailors.  We  are  not  living  in  the  dark  ages,  nor 
in  the  time  when  good  men  and  women  were  burned 
as  witches  in  your  native  state.  No  one  believes  in 
witches  now,  and  it  won't  be  long  that  any  one  will 
believe  in  ghosts. ' ' 

The  ship  left  port,  and  the  next  morning  dropped 
anchor  off  the  small  town  of  Bangawange,  where 
ships  stop  for  their  supply  of  fresh  provision  when 
going  around  the  east  end  of  Java  and  through  the 


LEAKT  SHIP  151 

Strait.  A  boat  was  sent  ashore  in  charge  of  Mr. 
Jones,  the  second  officer,  while  the  Captain  left  the 
ship  in  his  gig.  After  making  his  purchases  the 
Captain  returned  to  the  ship,  leaving  Mr.  Jones  to 
load  the  provisions,  and  follow  as  soon  as  possible. 
After  waiting  for  a  time  Mr.  Baker  was  sent  ashore 
to  ascertain  the  trouble,  and  he  soon  returned  and 
reported  that  he  found  the  boat  loaded  and  the  men 
waiting  for  their  officer. 

"What  has  become  of  Mr.  Jones?"  inquired  the 
Captain  in  great  surprise. 

' '  Slipped  his  cable  and  squared  away  for  the  moun- 
tains," replied  Mr.  Baker  knowingly. 

"Well,  what  next?"  said  the  Captain,  express- 
ing his  thoughts  and  not  addressing  any  one,  sur- 
prised that  an  officer  would  serve  him  in  such  a 
manner. 

' '  Get  under  way  before  we  lose  the  rest  of 
them,"  said  the  officer,  as  if  the  Captain  had  really 
asked  his  advice. 

' '  And   leave   Mr.    Jones  ? ' ' 

"You'll  never  see  him  again,"  said  Mr.  Baker, 
' '  unless  he  appears  as  a  ghost  to  even  up  on  other 
sailors  the  fright  he  has  experienced  by  those  who 
have  gone  before.  I  was  surprised  he  did  not  leave 
when  the  rest  did,  but  he  knew  he  would  stop  here 
and  this  was  his  last  chance." 

"  Mr.   Baker,"     said    the    Captain   in    a    measured 


152  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

manner,  ' '  Why  —  don' t  —  you  —  leave  ?  Are  you  not 
afraid  of  ghosts  ? ' ' 

"Just  as  much  as  the  rest  of  them,  sir.  I  have 
seen  ghosts,  and  heard  ghost  stories  on  every  ship 
I've  sailed  in,  but  this  is  the  first  set  that  I  really 
felt  acquainted  with,  and  I  will  stay  with  them  as 
long  as  they  will  stand  by  me." 

"Take  in  the  boats  and  get  under  way,"  said 
the  Captain,  amused  at  the  logical  way  Mr.  Baker 
explained  his  position  regarding  ghosts,  "  and  we 
will  soon  be  where  you  can't  get  away  if  the  ghosts 
should  snub  you  for  too  much  familiarity,  fearing  a 
loss  of  prestige." 

The  ship  was  soon  under  way,  and  inside  of  twenty- 
four  hours  was  south  of  the  island,  running  down  the 
southeast  trade.  Bill  was  promoted  to  second  mate 
and  took  up  his  quarters  in  the  officers'  cabin,  to  the 
great  delight  of  Mary  who  told  him  that  having  now 
become  an  officer  he  must  rid  himself  of  the  forecastle 
superstition. 

The  new  crew  performed  their  duties  well,  and 
appeared  satisfied  with  the  change.  They  were  English 
sailors  homeward  bound  from  a  long  voyage;  and  as 
they  found  plenty  to  eat  and  no  extra  work,  they  had 
no  excuse  for  grumbling.  But  this  condition  was  to 
be  of  short  duration.  It  is  a  trite  saying,  "  Misfortune 
never  comes  single."  It  was  not  necessary  for  anything 
more,  in  this  case,  to  prove  the  old  saw  true,  but  more 


LEAKT  SHIP  153 

was  to  come.  There  was  no  danger  of  piraies  or  can- 
nibals, but  what  was  to  happen  next?  The  ship  sprang 
a  leak,  small  at  first,  but  gradually  increasing  from 
day  to  day,  until  the  pumps  were  kept  going  all  the 
time.  All  hands  at  work  during  the  day,  with  watch 
and  watch  at  night,  could  but  keep  the  ship  free.  The 
men  growled  and  swore,  but  nothing  could  be  gained 
by  insubordination  or  mutiny.  Growl  they  might,  but 
work  they  must.  It  was  pump  or  sink,  and  they 
pumped. 

"How  do  you  suppose  she  started  that  leak,  Cap- 
tain," inquired  Mr.  Baker,  while  they  stood  watching 
the  jaded  men  at  the  pumps. 

"In  the  typhoon,"  replied  the  Captain.  "  I  ought 
to  have  docked  her-  in  Amoy,  but  she  was  tight  as  a 
jug  and,  anxious  to  save  time,  I  took  chances,  and  this 
extra  work  and  further  expense  are  the  natural  results, 
which  is  no  credit  to  my  judgment  or  seamanship." 

"It  is  just  our  luck  this  voyage  to  have  all  the 
trouble  possible  for  a  ship  to  pass  through,"  said  Mr. 
Baker  resentfully. 

"  Luck,"  repeated  the  Captain  derisively,  "  has  noth- 
ing to  do  with  our  troubles.  This  leak  is  simply  the 
result  of  neglected  duty  and  there  is  no  excuse.  A 
ship  subjected  to  such  a  severe  trial  should  have  been 
docked  and  thoroughly  overhauled.  The  leverage  of 
those  masts  on  the  ship  when  she  righted  was  enough  to 
split  her  wide  open." 


154  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

"I  guess  that's  about  right,  sir,  but  what  are  \ve 
going  to  do?  The  men  are  worn  out  with  this  constant 
pumping." 

' '  Thej*  can  stand  it  for  a  week  longer  ;  we  will  Ix- 
in  Cape  Town  by  that  time,  if  we  don't  get  a  blow  on 
the  banks." 

' '  Bound  to  get  it,  Captain  ;  never  passed  Cape  Good 
Hope  without  a  flurry.  The  fellow  who  named  that 
cape  was  no  sailor  or  he  named  it  going  out,  and  came 
back  the  other  way  around  Cape  Horn." 

"He  might  have  named  it  after  he  had  beat  around 
the  banks  for  a  month  and  had  good  hopes  of  getting 
home,"  said  the  Captain,  anxious  to  save  the  reputation 
of  the  ancient  mariner. 

Stormy  weather  set  in  as  the  ship  drew  near  the  cape, 
which  was  rounded  in  a  stiff  gale.  The  harbor  of  Cape 
Town  could  not  be  made,  and  the  Captain  shaped  his 
course  for  Saint  Helena.  It  was  hard  on  the  crew,  but 
they  had  no  just  cause  for  complaint.  On  the  morning 
of  the  eighth  day  after  passing  the  cape,  the  rocky 
isle  of  Saint  Helena  was  sighted,  and  by  noon  the 
ship  was  at  anchor  off  Jamestown,  the  port  of  the  island. 
A  gang  of  men  was  sent  on  board  to  relieve  those  who 
had,  as  they  expressed  it,  "pumped  the  Pacific  Ocean 
through  the  ship." 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
PUMP   OR  DROWN 

QAINT  HELENA,  historically  associated  with  the  great 
^  Napoleon,  is  situated  in  the  very  center  of  the 
southeast  trade  winds.  This  little  rock  island  which 
appears  on  the  map  as  nothing  more  than  a  dot,  is 
the  happy  home  of  seven  thousand  people  who  enjoy 
the  finest  climate  in  the  world.  Saint  Helena  has  no 
land-locked  harbor,  but  ships  ride  safely  in  the  road- 
stead on  the  lee  side  of  the  island,  off  the  valley  in 
which  the  beautiful  town,  climbing  up  its  sides,  is 
located.  All  communications  with  the  shore  are  car- 
ried on  by  boats,  and  ships  load  and  unload  by  the 
use  of  lighters.  While  the  chief  revenue  of  the  island 
is  derived  from  ships  in  distress,  it  has  no  facilities 
for  taking  ships  out  of  water.  Therefore  the  only 
thing  Captain  Willis  could  do  was  to  discharge  the 
cargo  of  his  ship  with  the  hope  of  finding  the  leak 
between  the  light  and  loaded  water  lines. 

The  Captain  and  his  wife  made  the  best  of  their 
enforced  stay,  and  visited  every  point  of  interest  on 
the  island.  L,ongwood,  the  home  of  Napoleon,  and 
where  he  died,  and  his  tomb,  guarded  by  a  solitary 

(i55) 


156  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

French  soldier,  were  objects  of  special  interest.  The 
old  house  and  the  tomb  of  the  great  Emperor,  with 
a  certain  amount  of  land,  had  been  transferred  to 
France,  producing  the  rather  singular  anomaly  of 
French  territory  in  the  middle  of  an  English  colony. 

The  cargo  was  discharged  and  everything  that 
human  ingenuity  could  contrive  was  used  to  locate 
the  leak.  The  ship  was  listed  until  her  yardarms 
touched  the  water,  placing  her  in  such  a  critical  con- 
dition that  any  little  mishap  at  any  moment  might 
turn  her  completely  over,  yet  no  indication  of  the 
leak  could  be  found.  The  Captain  was  in  despair. 
In  addition  to  his  loss  of  time  and  money,  his  re- 
sourcefulness was  taxed  to  the  utmost  to  solve  the 
most  difficult  problem  of  an  already  eventful  voyage. 
He  had  managed  to  keep  the  ship  afloat  all  the  way 
from  Java  to  Saint  Helena,  and  would  have,  no 
doubt,  carried  her  safely  into  port,  but  at  the  expense 
of  a  broken-down  crew  and  a  fine,  if  not  imprisonment, 
for  cruelty.  Now  he  was  in  the  hands  of  the  cus- 
tom's authority,  who  would  not  permit  the  ship  to 
leave  port  unless  pronounced  seaworthy  by  the  Board 
of  Marine  Survey.  The  ship  must  be  condemned 
and  sold  to  the  highest  bidder,  and  the  cargo  shipped 
to  its  port  of  destination,  if  some  plan  could  not  be 
devised  to  reload  the  ship  and  outwit  that  august 
body,  Her  Majesty's  Board  of  Marine  Survey. 

To  condemn   the   ship     meant    not  only   delay,   but 


PUMP  OR  DROWN  151 

bankruptcy  to  the  Captain,  for  most  of  his  capital 
\vas  invested  in  the  ship,  and  without  that  money  it 
would  be  impossible  to  fit  out  the  expedition  for  the 
rescue  of  his  boy.  He  could  not  entertain  such  a 
thought  for  a  moment.  He  would  take  that  sugar 
aboard  and  leave  the  island. 

"It  must  be  done,  Mr.  Baker,  and  there  is  no 
alternative,"  said  the  Captain,  as  he  rose  to  go  on 
deck,  after  a  long  consultation  with  his  chief  officer. 

"You  can  depend  on  me,  sir,  as  you  always  have," 
said  Mr.  Baker,  who  did  not  fully  agree  with  the  Cap- 
tain's plan,  "but  how  can  we  load  a  leaky  ship,  and 
then  pass  inspection  in  a  port  where  every  man  is 
determined  to  pick  the  bones  of  every  lame  duck 
that  drifts  his  way?" 

"I  don't  know  how  we  shall  fix  the  inspectors; 
we  have  not  got  to  that  yet,"  replied  the  Captain, 
with  his  gaze  fixed  on  the  skeletons  of  the  unfor- 
tunate ships  that  lined  the  beach.  ' '  But  we  have 
found  the  leak.  No  matter  what  others  may  think 
or  say,  this  ship  don't  make  water  enough  to  keep 
her  sweet.  We  will  begin  to  load  today.  Dunnage 
high,  say  two  feet.  Don't  so  much  as  look  at  the 
pumps  during  the  day.  I  will  send  off  a  strong 
gang  of  men  and  pump  her  dry  during  the  night." 

"That  sounds  all  right,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Baker,  still 
skeptical,  "but  the  men  that  pump  will  leak,  and  no 
sailor  will  leave  this  island  in  a  leaky  ship,  and  they 


158  RESCUED  Br  A   PRINCE 

know  we  have  not  found  any  leak.  They'll  take  their 
extra  pay." 

"We  will  keep  the  gang  on  board  pumping  at 
night,  and  out  of  sight  during  the  day,"  said  the 
Captain,  with  determination.  "Their  pay  will  depend 
upon  their  silence,  and  I  shall  promise  them  such  a 
sum  of  money  for  their  services  that  they  will  not 
dare  to  sleep  for  fear  of  revealing  the  secret  in  their 
dreams.  As  for  the  sailors,  I  will  keep  them  ashore 
with  plenty  of  money.  Of  course  they  will  know 
what's  up,  and  will  work  the  old  man  for  all  he's 
worth,  but  they  won't  blow  till  the  last  minute,  then 
it  will  be  too  late." 

"By  the  Great  Neptune,  Captain  !"  exclaimed  Mr. 
Baker,  "I  believe  she'll  fetch  in  on  that  tack.  Send 
off  the  sugar,  and  we'll  soon  have  the  old  ship  plow- 
ing through  the  briny  and  pumping  the  Atlantic 
Ocean  through  her  bottom." 

The  Captain  went  on  shore  and  explained  the  situ- 
ation to  his  wife,  and  told  her  of  his  plans  for  getting 
away  from  the  island  ;  but  as  she  made  no  comments, 
he  inquired,  "Why  don't  you  say  something?" 

"My  dear,"  she  said,  smiling,  "I  don't  know 
what  to  say.  All  that  I  know  is  that  we  shall  get 
out  of  this  difficulty  as  we  have  all  others,  and  we 
shall  find  Harry.  How  long  it  will  take,  and  what 
will  happen  in  the  meantime,  I  don't  know  nor  worry 
about." 


PUMP   OR  DROWN  159 

The  next  day  the  Captain  was  receiving  congrat- 
ulations from  his  friends  on  finding  the  leak.  He 
gave  a  ball  at  the  club  and  set  'em  up  for  every  man 
on  the  island,  exhausted  the  stock  of  the  cigar  dealers, 
and  saloons  closed  their  doors  until  the  next  invoice 
from  London.  All  subsequent  events  on  that  island 
date  from  the  "  Finding  of  the  leak."  Every  man 
that  could  work  and  every  lighter  that  would  float  was 
pressed  into  service,  while  the  ships  in  the  roads  fur- 
nished men  and  boats  to  hasten  the  departure  of  the 
unfortunate  ship. 

"How  does  she  work?"  inquired  the  Captain,  as 
he  came  on  board  and  found  the  ship  half  loaded. 

"  Like  a  spirit  compass,  sir,"*  replied  the  officer, 
as  much  pleased  as  the  Captain  with  the  success  of 
the  plot. 

"How  long  did  it  take  to  pump  her  out?"  inquired 
the  Captain  in  a  low  voice. 

"Eight  hours,  sir,"  replied  the  officer. 

' '  She  will  leak  more  with  the  increasing  pressure 
as  she  goes  down  in  the  water,"  was  the  Captain's 
comforting  reply. 

In  a  few  days  the  ship  was  ready  for  her  final  in- 
spection, and  no  unfavorable  report  had  been  circu- 


*The   incidents   of   this  story   happened    about  the   time  the 
spirit   compass  replaced  the  old-time  -card  compass,  and  was  so 
far  superior  to  the  discarded   one  that   every  sailor   swore  by  it. 
The  expression  "Like  a  spirit  compass  "  meant  perfection. 
11 


160  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

lated.  The  crew  was  having  a  great  time  at  the 
Captain's  expense,  and  envied  by  every  sailor  in  port. 
"The  inspectors  will  be  off  in  the  morning,  and  I 
may  come  with  them.  It  may  be  possible  that  I  shall 
not  be  able  to  get  away  much  before  noon,"  said 
the  Captain,  with  a  meaning  glance  at  Mr.  Baker, 
as  he  was  about  to  leave  the  ship  for  the  night.  ' '  You 
are  sure  she  is  not  leaking  a  drop?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Baker,  with  a  satisfied 
expression,  "I'll  fix  it  so  the  rod  won't  show  but 
six  inches;"  then  aside  in  a  low  voice,  "when  she 
is  pumped  out  the  rod  will  show  six  inches  of  water. 
The  first  hour  she  makes  four  inches,  second  hour 
two,  after  that  one  inch  an  hour." 

The  Captain  found  it  convenient  to  go  off  with 
the  inspectors,  in  the  Custom's  boat,  about  noon. 
The  sailors  were  ashore  and  the  shore  gang  asleep 
in  the  forecastle,  after  their  hard  night  work  at  the 
pumps.  Lighters  and  boats  were  alongside  and  sugar 
going  down  three  hatches. 

The  government  officers  were  received  on  board 
by  Mr.  Baker  with  all  the  ceremony  the  occasion 
required.  They  congratulated  the  Captain  on  his  good 
luck  in  getting  away  with  his  ship.  The  chief  in- 
spector took  the  name  and  tonnage  of  the  ship,  number 
of  men  and  officers,  and  all  other  particulars  to  fill 
in  the  blanks  of  his  official  register,  then  gravely 
measured  the  sounding  rod,  and  solemnly  sounded 


PUMP   OP  DP  OWN  161 

the  pumps.  "Six  inches,"  he  called,  and  it  was  so 
recorded  in  the  book,  together  with  the  time  of  day- 
Then  the  pumps  were  sealed,  to  stand  for  an 
hour. 

Mr.  Baker  had  slipped  a  ten -inch  plug  down  the 
sounding  tube  as  the  boat  came  alongside.  At  the  end 
of  an  hour  there  would  be  one  inch  more  of  water, 
and  Mr.  Baker  had  the  inch  plug  all  ready  to  drop 
down  the  tube  at  the  first  opportunity.  The  Cap- 
tain's part  was  to  get  the  inspectors  below  without 
creating  suspicion.  He  was  relating,  very  earnestly, 
his  fight  with  the  natives,  and  the  government  offi- 
cers were  deeply  interested. 

' '  Have  you  any  of  those  knives,  Captain  ? "  in- 
quired the  chief  inspector. 

"Yes,"    replied   the   Captain,    "bushels  of   them." 

"  I  have  quite  a  collection  of  native  weapons,  and 
would  like  one  of  those  knives,"  said  the  inspector, 
with  all  the  enthusiasm  of  a  collector  of  curios. 

"Just  step  into  the  cabin  -and  take  your  pick," 
said  the  Captain,  leading  the  way. 

Before  the  heads  of  the  curio  seekers  were  below 
the  deck  Mr.  Baker  had  the  inch  plug  down  the 
pipe,  and  all  was  safe.  When  the  hour  was  up  the 
pump  well  was  again  sounded,  and  the  rod  showed  six 
inches.  The  ship  had  made  no  water  during  the 
hour,  the  record  was  duly  made,  and  a  certificate, 
signed  and  sealed,  was  given  to  the  Captain. 


162  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

' '  Now  the  fun  begins, ' '  said  the  Captain  as  he 
watched  the  Custom's  boat  pulling  in  shore. 

"Well,  let  her  come,"  said  Mr.  Baker,  striking  up 
a  sailor's  hornpipe,  to  the  great  amusement  of  the 
Captain  ;  while  all  hands  looked  on,  wondering  what 
was  the  matter  with  the  mate.  ' '  I  guess  we  can  take 
care  of  the  rest,  sir,  but  the  quicker  we  get  away  the 
better,"  he  said  as  he  finished  his  dance. 

"The  men  will  be  off  tonight,"  said  the  Captain. 
"  Get  under  way  at  once,  and  keep  her  a  moving  well 
out  from  the  shipping.  Don't  pump  a  stroke  when 
near  any  ship  or  the  island.  Keep  a  good  offing  till  I 
signal  for  you  to  come  in." 

"All  right,  sir,"  responded  the  officer,  with  a  twin- 
kle in  his  eye.  "  Didn't  Her  Majesty's  officers  say 
she  didn't  leak?" 

The  Captain  passed  a  very  anxious  night  and  did 
not  attempt  to  sleep  till  after  daylight,  when  he  found 
out  that  his  ship  had  left  her  anchorage  and  was  just 
in  sight,  a  mere  speck  far  away  on  the  horizon.  To- 
ward evening  she  stood  in  again  and  laid,  with  her 
topsails  aback,  for  a  short  time,  but  receiving  no  signal, 
stood  off  again  for  the  night. 

The  next  morning  she  was  close  in  again  and  the 
Captain,  having  finished  his  business,  signaled  to  the 
ship,  and  in  a  short  time  was  alongside.  The  crew 
came  aft  in  a  body  and  demanded  to  see  the  consul. 
The  Captain  paid  no  attention  to  them  till  the  boat 


PUMP  OR  DROWN  163 

with  the  extra  men  had  left  the  ship ;  then  turning  to 
the  men  he  said,  "I  regret  very  much  that  I  am 
obliged  to  refuse  you  the  privilege  of  seeing  the  con- 
sul, but  this  ship  has  cleared  the  port,  and  I  am  not 
under  any  obligations  to  grant  your  request." 

"This  ship  is  leaking,  sir,"  said  one  of  the  sailors, 
"and  we  protest  against  leaving  port  in  a  ship  not 
seaworthy,  and  you  lay  yourself  liable  to  the  law, 
sir. ' ' 

The  Captain  appeared  surprised  and  turning  to  Mr. 
Baker  asked,  "Is  this  ship  leaking  again?" 

' '  Yes,  sir, ' '  replied  Mr.  Baker,  ' '  sprang  a  leak 
last  night  as  bad  as  ever;  "  then  as  if  unable  to  compre- 
hend it,  "strange  she  started  out  again.  The  Old 
Lady's  officers  said  she  was  all  right,  tight,  stanch, 
well  officered  and  manned,  fit  to  proceed  on  her  voy- 
age." 

"She's  been  leaking  all  the  time,"  broke  in  the 
sailor.  "She  never  did  stop  leaking,"  came  from  the 
enraged  sailors  in  a  chorus. 

"I  have  a  certificate  from  Her  Majesty's  Board 
of  Marine  Survey  that  this  ship  is  seaworthy  in 
every  respect,  and  permitted  to  leave  port.  A  good 
and  desirable  risk  for  underwriters,"  reading  from 
the  certificate,  "and  here  is  the  royal  seal,"  holding 
it  up  in  full  view  of  the  men.  "You  can't  deny  that 
authority. ' ' 

"This  is  an  outrage,  sir,"  said  the  sailor  who  had 


164  RESCUED    BT    A     PRINCE 

done  most  of  the  talking,  "some  Yankee  trick,  and 
we  refuse  to  turn  to." 

"If  that  certificate  states  she  don't  leak,  she 
don't,  and  what's  the  use  to  talk  about  it?"  said 
Mr.  Baker,  glancing  at  the  parchment  the  Captain 
held  in  his  hand. 

"Square   the   yards!"    ordered   the   Captain. 

' '  Stand   by   the   port   braces  !  ' '    called    Mr.    Baker. 

Not  a  man  moved,  but  stood  looking  at  their 
leader. 

"We   won't  pump   a  stroke,"    said   the   sailor. 

"Then  you  may  drown,"  replied  the  Captain. 
Then,  with  the  officers,  he  squared  the  yards  and 
got  the  ship  on  her  course,  with  Bill  at  the  wheel, 
while  the  men  went  forward  and  sulked. 

' '  How  did  you  manage  to  get  her  under  way, 
Mr.  Baker,  with  this  mutinous  crew?"  inquired  the 
Captain. 

"O!  We  had  a  tea  party  that  night,  with  the 
old  ladies  left  out.  The  men  were  tight  if  the  ship 
wasn't,  and  they  refused  to  turn  to,  so  I  pressed 
into  service  the  shore  gang.  The  sailors  interfered 
with  my  duty  and  we  had  a  fight,  but  in  less  than 
no  time  we  had  every  man  in  irons.  Those  shore 
fellows  were  A  i  and  copper  fastened.  With  them 
I  got  the  ship  under  way,  and  they  have  worked 
the  ship  and  pumped  her  ever  since.  I  never  took 
the  sailors  out  of  irons  till  you  was  nearly  alongside." 


PUMP  OR  DROWN  165 

"Did  they  make  any  noise?"  anxiously  inquired 
the  Captain. 

"  Not  enough  to  attract  any  attention  from  the  ships. 
One  of  the  lime  juicers  yelled  '  sinking  ship '  just  as 
we  dropped  past  the  New  Bedford  whaler,  but  he 
didn't  say  no  more,  and  he  can't  say  Peper  Piper 
now,  "  replied  Mr.  Baker  significantly. 

"  Well,  you  are  a  good  one,  Mr.  Baker,  "  said  the 
Captain  appreciatingly,  "and  if  I  didn't  really  need 
you  on  my  cruise  after  Harry  I  would  give  you  this 
ship.  She  will  have  another  captain  after  this  voy- 
age." 

"Thank  you,  Captain,  but  I  would  not  miss  that 
cruise  for  the  finest  ship  afloat.  I'll  never  leave  you 
and  Missus  till  you  are  out  of  your  troubles,"  said 
the  officer,  walking  away  to  hide  his  emotion. 

The  ship,  under  .pressure  of  the  stiff  southeast 
trades,  was  leaving  a  foaming  wake  behind  her, 
while  the  island  was  fading  away  in  the  distance. 

' '  Sound  the  pumps !  ' '  ordered  the  Captain ;  then 
ironically,  "  ard  report  to  the  men  every  hour.  They 
may  want  to  make  some  preparations  for  death.  " 

"Eighteen    inches,"  came   from    the    boatswain. 

' '  How  much  dunnage  did  you  place  under  the  sugar  ?  " 
inquired  the  Captain. 

"Thirty  inches,  sir,  next  to  the  keelson  beaft  the 
mainmast  down  to  fifteen  forward,  "  replied  Mr. 
Baker. 


166  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

"Well  dunnaged,  "  said  the  Captain.  "They  will 
turn  to  before  the  water  reaches  the  sugar." 

"They  would  like  to  pump  now,  sir,"  said  Mr. 
Baker,  "but  for  their  John  Bull  stubbornness,  which 
they  will  have  to  wear  out." 

"It  is  hard  on  them,"  said  the  Captain  with  a 
sigh,  "but  this  is  a  desperate  case  and  there  is  no 
help  for  it.  I  will  reward  them  well  if  they  will 
make  the  best  of  a  hard  job.  This  ship  will  go  into 
port  or  be  presented  to  old  Neptune  for  a  sugar  bowl 
to  sweeten  up  the  Atlantic." 

"Why  should  a  man  be  rewarded,  sir,  for  doing 
his  duty  ?  Didn't  they  agree  to  defend  the  ship  with 
their  lives  when  they  signed  the  articles  ? ' '  said  Mr. 
Baker,  looking  triumphantly  at  the  crowd  of  sailors 
who  were  already  showing  indications  of  uneasiness. 

"You  are  not  so  severe  as  your  talk  indicates," 
said  the  Captain.  "  All  sailors  have  a  right  to  a 
ship  that  is  seaworthy." 

"Don't  we  hold  a  government  certificate  to  that 
effect  ?  What  more  can  a  sailor  demand  ? ' '  said  Mr. 
Baker,  chuckling,  as  he  thought  how  easily  he  had 
deceived  the  customhouse  inspectors. 

The  Captain,  realizing  how  much  an  old  sailor 
really  enjoys  getting  the  best  of  a  customhouse 
officer,  even  at  the  peril  of  his  life,  did  not  argue 
the  point  farther. 

"  T  wen -tee   four  inches,"  called  the  boatswain,  and 


PUMP   OR  DROWN  167 

there  was  apparent  uneasiness  among  the  group  of 
sulky  sailors  lounging  about  on  the  forecastle.  They 
arose,  walked  around,  tightened  up  their  belts,  took 
an  extra  chew  of  tobacco,  and  looked-  to  windward, 
then  overboard,  with  occasional  glances  aft,  where 
the  Captain  was  walking  the  quarter-deck,  frequently 
stopping  for  a  chat  with  his  wife,  apparently  as  un- 
concerned as  if  there  was  no  water  in  the  hold  and 
no  prospects  of  sinking  before  morning. 

The  large  quantity  of  water  already  in  the  ship 
was  producing  an  effect  that  could  be  noticed  by  every 
man  on  board.  She  had  settled  in  the  water  and 
rolled  with  a  lazy  motion  that  greatly  alarmed  the 
sailors,  forcing  them  to  accept  the  inevitable  situation 
and  make  the  best  of  it.  The  land  had  disappeared 
below  the  horizon  hours  before;  nothing  but  water 
all  around,  and  water  in  the  ship.  After  a  hurried 
consultation  among  the  sailors,  one  of  their  number 
went  aft,  and  politely  addressing  the  Captain  said, 
with  great  embarrassment,  "  We've  concluded  to  pump 
the  ship,  sir." 

"  You-have-concluded-to-pump-the-ship,"  contemp- 
tuously replied  the  Captain,  "and  I  have  concluded 
to  let  her  sink.  I  will  shoot  the  first  man  who  dares 
to  touch  a  pump  brake.  Go  forward  and  die  like 
a  man ;  no  yelling  when  you  get  in  the  water,  and 
no  whining."  Then  to  Mr.  Baker,  "  Throw  those 
pump  brakes  overboard.  Yes,  draw  the  boxes  and 


168  RESCUED  BY  A   PRINCE 

chuck   them   over   too,    least  I   yield   to   these   fellows 
who  would  like  to  drown  if  it  was  not  for  getting  wet. ' ' 

This  so  astonished  the  sailor  that  he  could  not 
say  a  word,  but  went  forward  and  reported  that  ' '  the 
blarsted  old  gray-headed  pirate  was  going  to  let  her 
sink."  This  produced  just  the  effect  the  Captain 
desired.  There  was  great  consternation  among  the 
sailors.  They  did  not  expect  a  refusal  to  their  gen- 
erous offer,  and  were  not  prepared  for  this  turn  of 
affairs.  They  had  never  sailed  with  a  desperate  Yan- 
kee skipper  before,  and  hardly  knew  what  to  do,  but 
finally  went  aft  in  a  body  to  learn  their  fate. 

"  Well,  men,"  inquired  the  Captain  severely,  "  what 
can  I  do  for  you?  " 

' '  We  are  ready  to  turn  to,  sir,  and  we  wants  to 
pump  the  ship/' 

' '  You  shall  not  pump  a  stroke, ' '  said  the  Captain 
in  a  slow,  measured  tone.  ' '  I  have  had  troubles  enough 
this  voyage  and  I  am  determined  to  end  them  right 
here  and  go  down  with  the  ship,  a  most  fitting  death 
for  an  honorable  sailor.  My  only  regret  is  to  die  in 
such  cowardly  company.  Go  forward,  and  when  the 
ship  sinks,  drown  like  rats.  Any  set  of  men  who 
prefer  to  drown  rather  than  work,  don't  deserve  such 
an  honorable  death.  Go  forward  !  " 

"But  Captain,"  said  the  speaker  excitedly,  while 
the  sailors  turned  pale,  "you  took  advantage  of  us 
and  have  not  treated  us  like  men." 


PUMP  OR  DROWN  169 

"You  took  my  money,"  said  the  Captain  quietly, 
' '  and  had  a  glorious  old  time  on  shore  at  my  expense. 
Your  wages  were  going  on  while  you  had  nothing  to 
do.  Your  plan  was,  after  you  had  worked  the  'old 
man,'  to  report  me  to  the  authorities,  who  would  com- 
pel me  to  abandon  the  ship  and  pay  you  three  months' 
wages  that  you  had  not  earned,  and  send  you  home  as 
passengers.  I  preferred  another  way  and  outwitted 
you.  You  refused  to  save  the  ship.  That  is  mutiny 
on  the  high  seas ;  you  know  the  penalty.  Now  drown 
and  save  the  expense  of  a  trial  and  the  hangman's 
fee." 

"But  your  wife,  Captain,"  said  the  sailor,  as  he  saw 
the  desperate  situation,  ' '  you  would  not  drown  her  for 
our  faults,  sir,"  catching  at  what  he  thought  was  his 
only  hope. 

' '  She  has  not  taken  much  interest  in  life  for  some 
time,"  said  the  Captain,  but  his  voice  trembled  as  he 
thought  of  the  real  sorrow.  "If  you  make  as  little 
complaint  as  my  wife,  there  will  be  nothing  to  disturb 
the  peace  of  our  last  struggles  in  the  water." 

"  O  !  Captain  ! ' '  cried  several  of  the  sailors  in 
chorus,  "Let  us  pump!  Let  us  pump!  We  will  turn 
to  and  pump  her  into  port,"  and  they  crowded  around 
the  Captain,  imploring  him  to  let  them  pump  the  ship. 
The  Captain's  wife  took  sides  with  the  sailors,  and  with 
an  imploring  look  and  tone  said: 

"Do  let  them  pump,    Frank.      You   ought  not   to 


170  RESCUED  BY  A   PRINCE 

let  these  men  drown  without  a  chance  for  their  lives. 
There  has  been  enough  lives  lost  this  voyage."  Mr. 
Baker,  Bill,  and  all  the  officers  pleaded  for  the  sailors, 
while  they  stood  speechless,  anxiously  waiting  for  the 
Captain's  decision. 

The  Captain  was  weakening,  apparently,  under  so 
much  pressure,  and  said  reflectively,  as  if  considering 
the  matter,  "Why  not  end  it  now?  This  thing  will 
break  out  again  sooner  or  later. ' ' 

"Never!"  came  a  chorus  of  voices.  If  we  refuse 
to  turn  to  again,  under  any  circumstances,  you  may 
hang  us  from  the  yardarm." 

"Well,  pump  then,"  said  the  Captain,  "and  not  a 
man  goes  below  till  she  is  pumped  out."  Then  turning 
away  with  a  look  of  disgust,  he  continued,  as  if  talking 
to  himself,  but  loud  enough  for  the  sailors  to  hear, 
"Guess  I  am  losing  my  nerve.  I  am  too  tender-hearted 
for  a  captain  of  a  ship.  I  ought  to  have  been  a  mis- 
sionary." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE   MUTINY 

r^ROM  Saint  Helena  to  the  equator  everything  on 
board  worked  well.  The  wind  was  light  and  well 
abait  the  beam,  and  with  the  ship  on  an  even  keel,  the 
water  flowed  freely  to  the  pumps,  and  was  easily  kept 
down  by  the  sailors.  But  when  the  ship  was  hauled 
up  to  cross  the  northeast  trades,  with  a  stiff  breeze 
and  heavy  sea,  she  could  no  longer  keep  on  an  even 
bottom.  Braced  up  sharp  on  the  wind,  the  extra 
pressure  gave  her  a  deep  list  to  leeward  that  caused 
the  water  to  flow  away  from  the  pumps  and  lodge  in 
the  bilge,  with  no  chance  to  pump  it  out.  It  contin- 
ually increased  and  listed  the  ship  until  the  water  reached 
the  sugar,  then  sail  was  reduced,  or  the  ship  kept  off 
before  the  wind,  until  she  was  pumped  out.  Under 
these  unfavorable  conditions  it  was  madness  to  attempt 
the  passage  of  the  stormy  Atlantic  in  the  winter  sea- 
son, and  the  Captain  decided  to  square  away  for  the 
Bermudas,  where  there  was  dry  dock  facilities  for 
taking  ships  out  of  water. 

Much  to  the  surprise  of  the  Captain,  the  sailors  did 
not  seem  well  pleased  when   they  learned  the  ship  was 

(171) 


172  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

bound  for  the  Bermudas,  although  it  would  appear  that 
they  had  nothing  to  lose,  and  much  to  gain. 

' '  What  is  the  matter  with  the  men  ?  ' '  inquired  the 
Captain,  as  he  watched  the  sulky  sailors  relieve  their 
mates  at  the  pumps. 

"They  are  English,  sir,"  replied  Mr.  Baker,  "and 
they  are  bound  to  growl,  no  matter  how  well  they  are 
treated.  They  had  made  up  their  minds  to  pump  her 
over  to  the  Channel,  and  are  mad  because  they  can't 
do  it.  Don't  know  any  other  reason." 

"  Give  them  an  hour  at  meals  and  let  them  smoke 
and  spin  yarns  ;  it  will  brighten  them  up  a  little, ' '  said 
the  Captain. 

"All  right,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Baker,  "but  you'll  have 
a  mutiny  inside  of  twenty-four  hours  if  you  try  to 
treat  those  fellows  decent." 

A  few  days  later,  while  the  Captain  was  in  the  chart 
room  working  out  the  position  of  the  ship,  Mr.  Baker 
appeared  in  the  doorway  fully  armed.  The  Captain 
looked  up,  and  with  a  tired  expression  inquired: 

"Well,   Mr.   Baker,  what's  up  now?" 

"The  men  have  refused  to  turn  to,  sir,"  quietly 
replied  Mr.  Baker. 

"Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do?"  inquired  the 
Captain,  glancing  at  the  revolver  strapped  around  his 
fighting  officer. 

"Going  into  the  forecastle  and  drag  them  out, 
sir,"  replied  the  officer. 


THE  MUTINT  173 

"You  will  do  nothing  of  the  kind,"  said  the  Cap- 
tain slowly.  ' '  What  show  will  you  have  among  twenty 
mutineers?  Load  the  guns  with  solid  shot  and  I  will 
show  you  how  to  call  a  mutinous  watch.  This  thing 
is  getting  monotonous." 

The  forecastle  was  located  under  deck,  but  had  a 
trunk,  or  house,  four  feet  high  and  on  a  level  with 
the  rail,  with  the  bunks  "below  deck.  The  sailors  had 
locked  the  doors  from  the  inside  and  refused  to  come 
on  deck  at  two  bells,  when  all  hands  were  called,  as 
usual,  to  turn  to. 

The  guns  were  loaded  and  trained  on  the  fore- 
castle doors,  while  the  men,  not  knowing  what  was 
going  on,  were  in  their  berths,  smoking  and  trying 
to  keep  up  their  courage. 

"Now,  Mr.  Baker,  you  may  call  the  watch,"  said 
the  Captain  dryly. 

To   Mr.   Baker's  call  came  the  defiant  answer: 

"Come  and  take  us  out,  you  blarsted  Yankee  nig- 
ger drivers.  We're  no  slaves." 

' '  Aim  for  the  top  of  the  forecastle  and  let  her 
go!"  ordered  the  Captain,  speaking  to  Mr.  Baker 
and  Bill,  who  were  standing  by  the  guns  with  lan- 
yard in  hand.  And  they  did  go,  and  so  did  the  top 
of  the  forecastle,  with  the  splinters  flying  in  every 
direction,  and  the  sailors  tumbling  over  each  other  to 
get  on  deck,  their  eyes  bulging  and  hair  standing  on 
end,  wondering  ' '  what  kind  of  a  blarsted  Yankee  con- 


174  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

trivance"  that  was  for  calling  all  hands.  Before  the 
astonished  sailors  had  recovered  from  their  surprise, 
the  guns  were  reloaded,  and  the  Captain  triumphantly 
stood  waiting  further  developments. 

"  I/ay  aft  here,  you  mutineers!"  sternly  ordered 
the  Captain,  and  every  man  mechanically  obeyed. 

' '  Are  you  ready  to  turn  to  ? ' '  inquired  the  Cap- 
tain. 

"Yes,  sir,"  came  from  the  men  in  chorus. 

The  slow,  monotonous  klunk-klunk  of  the  pumps 
started  up,  and  the  trouble  was  over  for  the  present, 
but  the  Captain  knew  he  could  no  longer  rely  upon 
the  men,  and  must  depend  upon  his  own  vigilance 
and  the  loyalty  of  his  officers  to  take  the  ship  into 
port.  That  he  was  determined  to  do,  despite  all 
obstacles. 

"There  is  the  island  of  Barbadoes,"  said  the  Cap- 
tain to  Bill,  looking  away  to  the  northwest,  where  a 
speck  appeared  on  the  horizon.  ' '  A  few  more  days 
will  end  this  set  of  troubles.  They  are  getting  rather 
tiresome." 

"How  far  is  that  land  away,  sir?"  asked  Bill,  in 
a  tone  that  caused  the  Captain  to  look  inquiringly  at 
him. 

"About  forty  miles,  but  when  abeam  it  won't  be 
more  than  twenty-five,"  replied  the  Captain,  as  he 
walked  away  and  went  below. 

Not  far  from   midnight   Mr.   Baker  called  the  Cap- 


THE  MUTINT  175 

tain  and  reported  that '  the  sailors  were  preparing  to 
leave  the  ship.  ' '  They  pay  no  attention  to  orders, 
and  are  unlashing  the  boats.  They  are  quiet  and 
orderly,  but  determined." 

Mr.  Baker  was  for  going  in  among  them,  with 
the  officers,  and  settling  the  difficulty  with  a  hand 
to  hand  fight. 

"No,"  said  the  Captain,  "we  will  leave  that  for 
a  last  resort.  There  are  five  to  one  of  us,  and  if 
we  should  get  the  best  of  the  fight  there  would  not 
be  men  enough  left  to  pump  the  ship.  We  might 
kill  some,  wound  more,  and  put  the  rest  in  irons, 
and  deliver  them  up  to  the  authorities  when  we  reach 
port,  but  that  will  not  pump  the  ship.  Go  on 
deck  and  take  no  notice  of  them  ;  I  will  be  up  in 
a  few  minutes." 

This  the  Captain  knew  was  a  serious  difficulty. 
A  few  days  more  would  bring  them  into  port,  but 
the  men  were  mutineers  and  would  be  turned  over 
to  the  authorities  upon,  reaching  port,  and  suffer  the 
penalty  of  their  crime,  which  meant  life  imprison- 
ment. This  being  their  last  chance  for  defeating 
justice,  they  would  make  one  desperate  effort  to  save 
themselves  from  the  fate  that  awaited  them.  The 
Captain  leisurely  lit  a  cigar  and  quietly  walked  on 
deck,  made  a  turn  c*r  two  of  the  quarter,  then  or- 
dered Mr.  Baker  and  Bill  to  get  to  the  guns,  and 
stand  by  for  orders.  The  crew  paid  no  attention  to 
12 


176  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

the  officers  on  the  quarter-deck,  feeling  sure  they 
were  masters  of  the  situation.  The  Captain  was  watch- 
ing them,  but  apparently  as  unconcerned  as  if  there 
was  nothing  unusual  going  on. 

"Now  we'll  go  aft  and  bring  the  ship  to,"  said 
the  leader  of  the  mutineers,  as  the  boats  were  all 
ready  to  launch. 

' '  All  hands  lay  af t ! "  came  the  order  from  the 
Captain,  in  the  usual  tone  and  manner  of  such  com- 
mands. 

To  the  surprise  of  Mr.  Baker  and  the  other  offi- 
cers every  man,  without  hesitating  for  an  instant, 
walked  aft.  They  were  so  accustomed  to  obeying 
orders  that  when  they  received  the  command  to  "lay 
aft ' '  they  forgot  for  the  moment  that  they  were 
mutineers,  and  from  sheer  force  of  habit  they  mechan- 
ically walked  aft,  and  when  they  realized  the  trap 
they  were  in,  it  was  too  late. 

' '  What  is  the  trouble,  men  ? ' '  inquired  the  Cap- 
tain, sarcastically. 

"  We  are  going  to  leave  the  ship  and  pull  for 
the  land,"  said  one  of  the  sailors  defiantly. 

"And  leave  this  ship  to  sink,  myself,  wife  and 
officers  to  drown?"  said  the  Captain  inquiringly. 

"No,  sir,  we're  not  so  heartless  as  that.  We'll 
never  leave  a  shipmate  to  drown,  will  we  mates?" 
said  the  sailor,  addressing  the  others ;  then  again  to 
the  Captain,  "We'll  launch  a  boat  for  you  and  the 


THE  MUTINT  177 

officers.  The  weather  is  fine,  and  the  land  not  far 
away. ' ' 

"Thank  you,  men,  it  is  certainly  very  kind  of 
you,  but  will  you  tell  me  what  you  signed  articles 
for?"  inquired  the  Captain,  in  a  tone  that  made  the 
sailors  uneasy. 

"We  can't  defend  our  actions  in  the  courts,  but 
we've  got  charge  of  the  ship  and  we  don't  care  to  be 
berthed  for  life  and  wear  the  government  uniform.  It 
was  our  first  act  that  has  led  up  to  this.  We  regret 
it,  but  quarter-deck  speeches  won't  help  matters,"  said 
the  speaker  sorrowfully  ;  then  in  a  respectful  tone, 
"Shall  we  launch  a  boat  for  you,  sir?" 

"Men,"  said  the  Captain,  stepping  aside  and  point- 
ing to  the  guns  trained  on  them,  "These  guns  are 
loaded  with  grapeshot.  If  one  of  you  so  much  as 
moves  a  muscle,  that  man  signs  the  death  warrant  for 
every  one." 

The  men  were  paralyzed  with  fear  and  stood  as  if 
glued  to  the  deck,  with  the  moonlight  shining  full  on 
their  terror-stricken  faces.  After  a  moment's  silence 
the  Captain  took  the  lanyard  of  the  gun  from  Mr. 
Baker  and  ordered  him  to  take  the  officers  and  destroy 
the  boats. 

The  officers  made  quick  work  in  demolishing  the 
boats,  while  the  men  stood  like  statues  in  front  of  the 
guns.  When  everything  that  could  float  a  man  had 
been  made  useless  or  thrown  overboard,  the  Captain 


178  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

dropped  the  lanyard  and  said,  surveying  the  baffled 
sailors,  "Now  pump  or  sink,"  and  without  another 
word  turned  and  went  below. 

"Why,  Frank,"  said  the  Captain's  wife,  as  her 
husband  came  below,  "  how  dare  you  leave  the  deck 
with  the  crew  in  a  state  of  mutiny  ? ' ' 

"  My  dear,"  replied  the  Captain  in  a  satisfied  man- 
ner, "  we  have  not  been  so  complete!}'  secure  from 
danger  since  leaving  Saint  Helena.  There  is  no  more 
trouble  for  us  this  trip.  There  is  no  escape  only  by 
the  ship,  and  they  will  rather  pump  than  drown.  Hear 
that?"  said  the  Captain,  as  the  old  familiar  klunk- 
klunk  of  the  pumps  sounded  through  the  ship  and  over 
the  waters. 

A  week  later  the  ship  was  at  anchor  in  Bermuda, 
with  a  gang  of  men  from  the  shore  to  pump  ship,  re- 
lieving the  sailors,  who  were  for  the  last  time  called 
aft.  The  Captain  after  leading  the  way  into  the  cabin 
said,  pleasantly  : 

"  Men,  my  troubles  would  not  interest  you,  any  more 
than  perhaps  an  outward  show  of  sympathy,  therefore 
it  is  unnecessary  to  relate  them,  but  it  was  no  ordi- 
nary circumstances  that  compelled  me  to  force  you  to 
sea  in  a  leaky  ship.  If  you  had  stood  by  me  I  would 
have  doubled  your  wages,  in  fact  money  would  have 
been  no  object.  I  could  not  admit  that  the  ship  was 
leaking  when  she  left  port,  for  the  sailor  as  well  as 
the  Captain  is  protected  by  the  same  law. 


THE  MUTINT  179 

"  Then  you  admit,  sir,  this  ship  was  leaking  and  not 
seaworthy,  when  you  left  Saint  Helena?"  said  one 
of  the  sailors,  brightening  up. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Captain,  looking  steadily  at  the 
sailor,  "  but  who  will  believe  the  word  of  -a  muti- 
neer ?" 

The  sailor  dropped  his  head,  and  a  look  of  despair 
supplanted  the  expression  of  hope  that  had  illuminated 
his  face  when  the  Captain  admitted  that  his  own  act 
tr.ight  warrant  the  mutinous  conduct  of  the  sailors. 

"Listen!"  continued  the  Captain.  "You  have 
forfeited  all  consideration  from  courts  or  men,  and 
you  know  the  penalty  for  mutiny;  yet  in  consideration 
of  the  circumstances  and  my  part,  which  in  the  eyes 
of  the  law  was  not  justifiable,  I  will  not  report  j'ou. 
The  wages  due  you  will  no  more  than  replace  the 
boats  that  your  conduct  compelled  me  to  destroy,  in 
order  to  save  the  ship  with  her  valuable  cargo,  and 
repair  the  deck  house  that  I  was  obliged  to  blow 
away  in  order  to  get  you  on  deck.  I  will  give  each  one 
of  you  a  pound,  so  that  you  will  not  land  dead  broke, 
but  if  I  find  one  of  you  on  board  in  the  morning, 
the  same  I  will  turn  over  to  the  proper  authorities 
to  be  dealt  with  according  to  law." 

"Captain,"  said  one  of  the  sailors,  "you  got  the 
best  of  us,  an'  I  don't  know's  we  would  have  treated 
you  as  well  if  we  had  weather  gauged  you,  but  we 
feels  very  grateful  to  you  for  letting  us  off  so  easy. 


180  RESCUED  BY  A  PRINCE 

We's  sorry,    Captain,   but   we   can't  help  it   now,    an' 
we   must   take  our  rations  without    growling." 

"  I  guess  you  would  not  have  gone  entirely  back 
on  a  shipmate  if  you  had  come  out  ahead,"  said 
the  Captain  pleasantly.  "  You  offered  to  launch  a 
boat  for  me,  which  certainly  was  very  kind.  Many 
a  ship's  officers  have  been  left  to  their  fate  under 
like  circumstances.  If  I  did  not  accept  your  offer  it 
was  not  your  fault,  but  you  see,  men,  I  had  a  better 
plan  of  getting  ashore,  and  you  are  all  better  off 
here  than  on  the  island  of  Barbadoes,  and  you  all 
feel  easier,  than  if  you  had  allowed  this  ship  and 
cargo  to  sink.  We  do  things  under  certain  impulses 
and  conditions  that  we  regret  later,  and  our  sorrow 
for  every  wrong  committed  grows  with  the  years." 

"That's  square  in  the  wake,  Captain,  but  we  was 
afraid  of  er  life  berth.  If  you  had  kept  on  for  the 
Channel  we  would  not  have  give  you  any  trouble, 
if  we  had  to  pump  the  ocean  through  the  bottom. 
Old  England's  a  bigger  lot  er  land  than  this  little 
island;  an'  we  could  hide  ourselves  there,  but  er  rab- 
bit can't  hide  on  this  little  lump  er  coral.  It  was 
to  save  our  own  hides,  Captain,  that  we  tried  to 
take  the  boats,  but  we  would  have  towed  your  boat 
to  land  on  your  word  that  you  would  not  reported 
us  to  the  consul." 

•'  All    right,    men,    I    feel  very  much  to  blame    my- 
self,"   said  the    Captain,    as  he   passed  each  man    two 


THE  MUTINY  181 

pounds   sterling    instead   of   one.       "I    hope   you   will 
find   a  good  ship." 

As  the  sailors  left  the  cabin  the  leader  said,  "  If 
the  ole  man  had  told  us  his  troubles,  we'd  er  stood 
by  him." 

"Avast  heaving,  mate,"  replied  another,  "the  Cap- 
tain don't  have  to  ask  the  foc'sel  hands  what  to  do. 
If  we'd  obeyed  orders  as  was  our  duty,  we'd  been 
ahead." 

"Come  ashore  after  dark,  Mr.  Baker,"  said  the 
Captain,  as  he  was  leaving  the  ship  to  go  on  shore, 
whither  his  wife  had  already  preceded  him,  ' '  I  want 
to  have  a  talk  with  you,  as  I  may  arrange  to  go  into 
dock  at  daylight." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  responded  the  officer,  and  the  men 
at  the  oars  gave  way  and  pulled  for  the  hotel  landing 
on  the  white  sandy  beach  with  as  much  energy  in  their 
strokes  and  good  will  in  their  looks  as  if  nothing  had 
happened  and  they  expected  to  remain  in  the  ship  for 
the  rest  of  the  voyage. 

Several  hours  later  the  Captain,  his  wife,  and  Mr. 
Baker  were  discussing  the  case  of  the  sailors. 
The  Captain's  wife  was  well  pleased  with  their  dis- 
missal. 

"It  would  have  benefited  no  one,"  she  said,  "had 
the  sailors  gone  to  prison  for  life.  It  was  a  hard  place 
to  put  men  in,  and  they  felt  morally  justified,  knowing 
that  they  had  been  imposed  upon.  We  were  obliged  to 


182  RESCUED  BT  A    PIUXCE 

take  chances,    but  we  must  deal   leniently    with    those 
whom  we  unjustly  force  into  service." 

' '  A  sailor  has  no  excuse  for  disobeying  orders, ' '  said 
Mr.  Baker,  "neither  has  an  officer,  and  if  you  say 
let  them  go,  that  ends  it  with  me;  but  I  guess  I'll 
stay  on  shore  tonight.  All  night  in  a  bed  will  be  a 
great  treat,  that  is  if  I  can  sleep  without  the  music 
of  them  pumps." 

"A  very  good  idea,"  said  the  Captain.  "  I  knew 
you  would  never  get  over  the  fact  that  a  whole  crew 
deserted  the  ship,  and  Mr.  Baker  on  board,  so  I  asked 
you  to  come  ashore  while  the  men  were  leaving  the 
ship. ' ' 

"Very  kind  of  you,  Captain,  but  I  will  go  off  about 
midnight,  and  kick  up  a  rumpus  with  the  officers  for 
letting  the  sailors  run  away,  just  to  save  my  reputa- 
tion, you  know.  But  Captain,"  continued  the  officer 
seriously,  ' '  will  you  tell  me  why  that  mutinous  crew 
came  aft  when  you  ordered  them  to  on  the  night 
they  had  charge  of  the  ship  and  everything  their  own 
way,  and  could  have  made  us  walk  the  plank?" 

"That  was  simply  an  illustration  of  what  I  have 
often  explained  concerning  the  power  of  suggestion," 
said  the  Captain  smiling.  "  Those  fellows  knew  that 
they  had  charge  of  the  ship  and  had  nothing  to  fear. 
Our  presence  on  deck,  in  full  view  and  offering  no 
remonstrance,  confirmed  them  in  their  assurance.  They 
were  not  expecting  to  receive  or  obey  orders  from 


THE  Men  NT  183 

the  quarter-deck,  and  entirely  ignored  us.  I  was 
waiting  for  their  move  aft,  which  must  be  made 
before  they  could  launch  the  boats,  and  when  the 
leader  of  the  gang  was  ready  to  bring  the  ship  to, 
every  man's  mind  was  upon  the  execution  of  the  very 
order  I  gave.  I  merely  intensified  the  thought  upper- 
most in  their  minds.  They  were  waiting  and  expect- 
ing to  execute  it,  and  did  not  stop  to  consider  from 
whence  it  came,  but  from  force  of  habit,  like  ma- 
chines, responded  to  the  motive  power." 

' '  That  sounds  more  like  preaching  than  sailor 
talk,"  said  Mr.  Baker  as  he  left  the  room,  muttering 
to  himself:  "  If  that  power  of  I  don't  know  what 
you  call  it  could  pump  a  leaky  skip  or  reef  a  topsail, 
there  might  be  something  in  it.  Bosh!" 

The  next  morning  there  was  not  a  man  to  turn 
to,  and  when  the  Captain  was  sure  they  had  left  the 
harbor  in  another  ship,  he  offered  a  reward  for  their 
return.  They  were  duly  reported  to  the  consul  and 
entered  in  the  logbook  as  deserters.  The  ship  was 
docked,  and  the  cause  of  so  much  expense  and  trouble 
was  found  in  her  garboard  streak  under  the  foremast. 
The  strain  received  in  the  typhoon  broke  the  pitch, 
causing  the  oakum  to  rot.  Time  and  pressure  did  the 
rest  and  for  the  space  of  a  foot  there  was  not  a  thread 
of  oakum  in  the  seam.  The  leak  that  nearly  sunk 
the  ship  was  stopped  in  five  minutes,  the  ship  slid  off 
into  her  native  element  once  more,  and  with  a  new 


184  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

crew  proceeded  on  her  voyage.  Calling  at  Cork  she 
was  ordered  to  Greenock  on  the  Clyde.  Here  the 
cargo  was  discharged  and  another  taken  on  board  for 
Boston,  where  she  arrived  in  due  time,  with  no  mis- 
hap or  incident  out  of  the  ordinary  seafaring  life, 
having  completed  the  most  remarkable  voyage  ever 
recorded. 

The  Captain  was  tendered  a  vote  of  thanks  and  a 
substantial  reward,  while  the  Captain's  wife  was  made 
an  honorary  captain  by  a  unanimous  vote  of  the  ship's 
owners  and  the  Board  of  Underwriters. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
THE  LAUNCHING  OF  THE  ' '  VIGILANT  " 

qnHE  Captain  gave  up  his  ship,  to  the  great  regret  of 
the  owners,  who  bought  out  his  entire  interest 
and  agreed  to  stand  security  for  any  amount  he  might 
fall  short  in  fitting  out  the  new  ship.  They  had  no 
idea  that  the  Captain  would  ever  find  his  boy,  but 
they  felt  a  deep  sympathy  for  the  afflicted  parents 
and  were  greatly  interested  in  the  enterprise.  While 
reason  condemned  the  expenditure  of  so  much  time 
and  money,  which  could  not  possibly  bring  satisfac- 
tory results,  the  ship  owners  applauded  the  faith  mani- 
fested by  the  parents  in  their  determination  to  search 
the  wrorld  and  fight  all  who  opposed  them  in  the  res- 
cue of  their  boy,  and  would  rather  lose  all  the  money 
advanced  than  to  disappoint  the  Captain's  wife,  who 
knew  she  would  find  her  boy  "  somewhere,  and  some 
way." 

Although  the  money  had  been  secured  it  was  not 
an  easy  matter  to  find  a  ship  suitable  for  this  expe- 
dition, and  the  Captain  spent  weeks  visiting  the  docks 
and  shipyards  from  Boston  to  Kennebec,  in  search  for 

(185) 


186  RESCTED  BY  A    PRINCE 

a  ship  that  would  meet  all  the  requirements  of  such 
an  unusual  voyage.  After  a  week's  search  in  the  sea- 
port towns  of  Massachusetts  and  Maine,  he  returned 
dejectedly  to  the  office  of  the  managing  owner  of  his 
old  ship,  who  met  him  with  a  hearty  shake  of  the 
hand.  "I  have  good  news  for  you,  Captain,"  said 
Mr.  Hardy.  ' '  You  remember  that  ship  over  in  Mc- 
Kay's shipyard  that  you  so  much  admired?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Captain  sadly,  "but  her  owners 
would  not  give  her  up,  although  I  offered  them  a 
handsome  bonus." 

"Her  owners  have  failed,  and  Donald  has  her  on 
his  hands.  You  know  she  was  being  built  for  a  spe- 
cial purpose,  and  as  she  is  not  well  adapted  for  ordi- 
nary trade,  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  she  finds  a 
purchaser.  They  have  quit  work  on  her  already," 
said  Mr.  Hardy,  and  his  pleased  expression  plainly 
showed  his  interest  in  the  Captain's  enterprise. 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Hardy,"  said  the  Captain,  "I'll 
own  her  inside  of  an  hour,"  and  he  rushed  toward  the 
door,  as  if  afraid  the  ship  would  be  sold  before  he 
could  cross  the  ferry. 

"Hold  on,  Captain,"  said  Mr.  Hardy,  gently  plac- 
ing his  hand  on  the  Captain's  shoulder,  "  we  are  in- 
terested in  this  enterprise,  and  we  can  make  a  better 
deal  with  Donald  than  you  can." 

"That's  so,  Mr.  Hardy,"  said  the  Captain  excit- 
edly. "  Go  at  once  and  buy  her  at  any  price." 


LAUNCHING   OF  THE  "VIGILANT"      187 

"Not  so  fast,  my  dear  Captain.  She  won't  get 
away,  and  I  don't  want  her  very  badly  you  know. 
Donald  is  an  old  friend  of  mine,  and  I  am  anxious  to 
help  him  get  a  white  elephant  off  his  hand,"  said  Mr. 
Hardy  with  a  knowing  wink. 

"  I  suppose  I  would  show  more  anxiety  to  close 
the  deal  than  would  be  profitable,  and  that  sharp 
old  shipbuilder  would  take  advantage  of  my  neces- 
sity, "  said  the  Captain,  well  pleased  with  the  interest 
the  old  merchant  showed  in  the  whole  affair. 

The  ship  under  discussion  was  the  only  one  the 
Captain  could  find  that  was  adapted  in  every  par- 
ticular for  the  voyage  he  was  about  to  enter  upon. 
She  was  six  hundred  tons  burden,  extreme  clipper 
build,  bark  rigged,  and  was  expected  to  make  eighteen 
knots  under  canvas,  with  a  favorable  opportunity. 
In  addition  to  her  sails  she  was  fitted  with  auxiliary 
steam  power,  which  alone  would  propel  the  ship 
twelve  knots.  She  was  built  for  the  express  purpose 
of  carrying  supplies  to  the  South  Atlantic  whaling 
fleet  that  rendezvoused  at  Saint  Helena,  and  the  steam 
power  was  to  assist  her  through  the  doldrums  and 
tropical  calms.  A  better  ship  for  the  expedition  in 
search  for  Harry  could  not  have  been  built,  even  if 
the  Captain  had  planned  her  himself,  and  started 
from  the  keel  ;  and  more,  she  had  been  under  con- 
struction for  six  months,  and  by  extra  exertion  she 
could  be  launched  in  a  month. 


188  RESCUED  BY  A   PRINCE 

"Sit  down,  Captain,  smoke  a  cigar  and  quiet 
your  nerves.  You  have  wasted  more  nerve  energy 
in  an  hour  than  I  have  for  the  last  ten  years," 
said  Mr.  Hardy,  as  he  returned  to  his  office  and 
found  the  Captain  nervously  pacing  the  floor,  as  if 
the  uncompleted  ship  on  the  stocks  would  really  get 
away. 

•' '  Have  you  closed  the  deal  ? ' '  excitedly  inquired 
the  Captain,  as  he  rushed  up  to  Mr.  Hardy  and 
anxiously  waited  for  his  reply. 

Mr.  Hardy  was  one  of  those  fine  old  characters 
of  the  last  generation,  who  liked  to  have  his  own 
way  and  time  about  things.  He  smiled  at  the  young 
Captain's  impetuous  manner,  and  replied  very  slowly, 
' '  Yes, —  I  —  have  —  bought  —  her,  pro-vid-ing ' ' 

' '  Providing  what  ?  ' '  interrupted  the  Captain  im- 
patiently. 

"  Pro-vid-ing  she  is  launched  within  thirty  days 
without  the  usual  three  days  of  grace,"  said  the 
old  merchant  gleefully,  rubbing  his  hands,  "and " 

"And  what?"  again  interrupted  the  Captain  as 
Mr.  Hardy  hesitated  in  the  most  tantalizing  manner. 

"  Every  man  who  can  work  to  advantage  will  be 
set  to  work  tomorrow  morning,"  said  Mr.  Hardy, 
finishing  his  report  on  the  transaction. 

"Good!"  said  the  Captain,  grasping  the  old 
merchant's  hand.  "You  don't  know  how  this  affair 
is  breaking  me  up,  and  my  wife "  His  voice 


LAUNCHING  OF  THE   "VIGILANT"      189 

broke  and  his  lips  quivered,  "She  don't  show  it, 
but  it  is  taking  her  very  life,  and  if  we  don't  find 
that  boy  she  is  dead  or  worse  off." 

"  Your  wife  will  stand  it  longer  than  you  if  I  am 
not  much  mistaken.  She  is  the  most  remarkable  woman 
I  have  ever  met,"  said  the  kind-hearted  old  mer- 
chant, in  his  slow,  quiet  way,  wiping  his  eyes.  "  I 
have  taken  a  personal  interest  in  this  affair,"  he 
continued,  "and  will  see  you  through  if  I  have  to 
stand  all  extra  expense." 

The  Captain,  much  affected  by  the  kindness  of 
Mr.  Hardy,  and  surprised  that  people  did  take 
an  interest  in  the  misfortunes  of  others,  did  not  say 
a  word,  but  left  the  office,  overwhelmed  with  emotion. 
There  are  times  when  words  are  inadequate  to  ex- 
press the  sentiment  of  the  heart,  and  silence  is  fully 
understood  and  appreciated. 

The  Captain  spent  his  whole  time  in  the  ship- 
yard watching  the  workmen,  while  his  wife  visited 
the  ship  every  day.  The  sad  story  of  the  loss  of 
little  Harry  was  well  known,  and  mothers  would  in- 
voluntarily tighten  the  clasp  upon  the  hands  of  their 
little  ones,  while  sympathetic  tears  flowed  down 
their  faces  as  they  related  the  story  of  little  Harry 
among  the  cannibals  to  some  new  comer,  and  pointed 
out  the  afflicted  parents.  The  shipyard  was  crowded 
with  visitors,  and  every  one  took  the  deepest  interest 
in  everything  connected  with  the  ship.  The  nervous 


190  R ESC i' ED  nr  A   PRINCE 

anxiety  of  the  Captain  and  the  quiet  determination 
on  the  face  of  his  wife,  with  the  sympathy  of  the 
crowd  always  standing  around  the  ship,  created  a 
corresponding  sympathy  on  the  part  of  the  ship- 
builders. Every  workman  felt  that  time  was  of  the 
greatest  value.  They  no  longer  came  at  seven,  and 
quit  work  at  six  o'clock,  but  were  on  hand  at  day- 
light and  remained  till  the  shadows  of  night  com- 
pelled them  to  quit.  The  master  builder  caught  the 
infection,  suspended  all  other  work  in  the  yard,  and 
centered  all  of  his  energies  and  force  of  workmen  on 
the  ship,  as  if  feeling  it  his  duty  to  get  her  off  the 
ways  as  soon  as  possible.  At  the  end  of  three  weeks 
from  the  date  of  Mr.  Hardy's  purchase  of  the  ship, 
she  was  ready  to  launch.  Never  was  such  a  launch- 
ing witnessed  in  that  port.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
whole  city  had  turned  out  in  honor  of  the  occasion. 
As  the  workmen  split  out  the  spur,  and  the  ship 
started  on  her  way  to  the  ocean,  the  Captain's  wife 
broke  the  bottle  of  wine  on  her  bow  and  christened 
her  "Vigilant."  The  vessel  slid  into  the  water  amid 
the  shouts  of  thousands  of  interested  people,  who 
were  in  full  sympathy  with  her  mission. 

The  ship  was  hauled  under  the  shears  and  her 
masts  stepped  before  the  workmen  left  for  the  night. 
The  building  and  rigging  of  that  ship  was  a  record 
breaker  in  the  annals  of  shipbuilding,  and  the  record 
of  her  construction,  fitting  out,  and  first  cruise,  can 


LAUNCHING  OF  THE  "-VIGILANT'"      191 

be  seen  today,  magnificently  framed  and  hanging  in 
the  master  builder's  office.  To  the  ordinary  visitor, 
because  of  its  surroundings,  it  appears  much  out  of 
place,  but  it  is  the  boast  and  pride  of  the  most 
famous  shipyard  on  the  coast  of  New  England. 

The  masts  in  place,  the  rigging  was  quickly  set 
down,  yards  crossed  and  sails  bent,  while  arms,  am- 
munition, and  stores  for  two  years  were  taken  on 
board  and  stowed  away.  Mr.  Hardy  insisted  upon 
fitting  out  a  cabin  or  saloon  for  the  Captain's  wife, 
while  other  merchants  provided  four  twelve-pound 
brass  howitzers  with  ammunition.  The  citizens  con- 
tributed the  bunting  and  a  full  set  of  awnings,  and 
so  great  was  the  interest  and  sympathy  in  the  novel 
enterprise,  that  farmers  for  miles  around  sent  in  large 
quantities  of  produce,  while  their  wives  contributed 
preserves,  jellies,  and  jams,  sufficient  for  the  entire 
voyage. 

The  same  set  of  officers  who  had  stood  so  nobly 
by  the  Captain,  and  defended  the  ship  against  canni- 
bals, pirates,  and  mutineers,  were  on  the  ship's  articles, 
but  not  a  sailor  had  been  shipped.  The  Captain  had 
left  the  selection  of  the  crew  to  Mr.  Baker,  who  ap- 
peared to  be  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  the  right 
men,  but  unable  to  find  just  the  men  he  wanted. 

"We  are  nearly  ready  for  a  crew,  Mr.  Baker," 
said  the  Captain  impatiently,  after  listening  to  that 

officer's   hard  luck    story    about    not    finding   the  right 
13 


192  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

men.  "If  we  can't  get  what  we  want,  we  must  take 
the  best  we  can  get." 

"We  can  do  that  at  any  time,  so  we  will  try  for 
what  we  want  as  long  as  we  can  without  detaining 
the  ship;  but  there  don't  seem  to  be  many  first- 
class  men  wanting  a  ship,"  said  Mr.  Baker,  with  an 
air  that  indicated  he  could  find  the  men  when  he  had  to. 

"  Certainly  not,"  replied  the  Captain.  "First-class 
men  don't  hunt  long  for  a  ship.  I  wish  we  had 
our  old  crew.  I  would  take  every  one  of  them,  but 
old  Tom's  'man  an'  boy'  experience  would  get  a 
shock,"  he  said,  smiling,  watching  the  churning  pro- 
peller and  straining  hawsers,  as  the  engineer  was 
testing  the  machinery. 

"We'll  have  a  large  crew,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Baker, 
much  pleased  that  the  Captain  expressed  a  desire  to 
have  all  of  the  old  hands  back  again. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Captain,  sadly.  "We  are  some- 
thing more  than  a  merchantman,  and  will  have  some 
other  use  for  men  than  to  work  ship  and  handle 
cargo." 

"That  is  right,  Captain,  but  with  twenty  men  be- 
sides the  officers,  engineers  and  firemen,  we  will  be  a 
well  equipped  man-of-war.  I'll  take  another  turn 
around  the  boarding  houses  this  afternoon." 

Mr.  Baker  returned  to  the  ship  as  the  Captain  and 
his  wife  were  leaving  for  the  night. 

' '  Hold  on,  Captain  ! ' '   exclaimed  Mr.   Baker,  as  he 


LAUNCHING  OF   THE  ^VIGILANT"      193 

almost  fell  over  the  rail  in  his  haste  to  tell  the  good 
news.  "  I  have  got  them  !  Every  mother's  son  of  them 
will  be  on  board  in  the  morning,"  and  he  started  up  a  jig. 

"Got  who?  "  inquired  the  Captain,  looking  sharply 
at  the  old  officer  and  thinking  he  had  met  up  with 
some  friends  and  talked  ship  until  he  was  shaking 
three  points  in  the  wind. 

"Why  our  old  crew,  Captain,"  replied  Mr.  Baker, 
finishing  the  measure  of  the  jig  and  wiping  perspira- 
tion from  his  face,  with  ' '  Beg  pardon,  Missus  ;  "  it  was 
the  Captain's  turn  to  be  surprised,  while  his  wife 
clapped  her  hands  for  joy. 

"How  did  you  run  afoul  of  them,  Mr.  Baker?" 
inquired  the  Captain. 

"Well  you  see,  Captain,  I  have  been  on  the  look- 
out for  their  ship  ever  since  we  have  been  in  port, 
and  have  made  trips  to  the  pilot  office  several  times 
a  day.  When  I  went  out  today  I  shaped  my  course 
straight  for  the  pilot  office,  and  found  out  that  a  ship 
from  Manila  passed  Cape  Cod  this  morning.  I  then 
took  a  new  departure  for  the  tow  boat  company's 
office,  and  reached  there  just  in  time  to  get  a  passage 
on  the  boat  that  was  casting  off  her  lines  to  go  out 
after  the  ship,  off  the  Minot's.  My  !  but.  the  boys 
was  glad  to  see  me,  and  the  first  thing  they  asked 
about  was  the  cruise  ;  and  when  I  told  them  how  we 
were  making  it,  and  holding  a  berth  for  them,  they 
just  danced  the  hornpipe,  while  old  Tom  related  his 


194  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

'  man  an'  boy  experience  for  forty  years.'  They  will 
get  paid  off  tomorrow,  weather  the  boarding  house, 
and  won't  start  tack  nor  sheet  till  they  strike  the 
ship,  and  the  land  sharks  will  have  to  strike  off 
shore. ' ' 

"  Now  I  understand  why  you  could  not  find  any 
sailors,"  said  the  Captain,  greatly  pleased  with  the 
fact  that  he  would  have  for  this  desperate  cruise  men 
on  whom  he  could  depend  in  any  emergency.  "  I 
think  you  ought  to  be  Captain,  Mr.  Baker,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  but  then  I  don't  know  where  you  would  find 
such  a  mate  as  I  have  always  found  in  you." 

"Thank  you,  Captain,"  replied  Mr.  Baker,  much 
pleased  with  the  compliment,  "  but  we  can  fix  it  all 
right.  Missus  can  be  Captain  ;  she  beats  both  of  us, 
and  she  holds  a  Captain's  commission,''  taking  off 
his  hat  and  bowing  to  the  Captain's  wife. 

The  next  day  the  sailors  came  on  board,  and  were 
greeted  as  old  friends  by  the  Captain  and  his  wife. 
The  sailors  took  great  interest  in  the  ship,  but  would 
not  go  near  the  engine  room.  Their  quarters  were 
commodious  and  comfortable,  far  beyond  anything  they 
had  ever  seen  before.  "  Man  an'  boy,  I've  sailed 
salt  water  nigh  on  to  forty  years,"  began  old  Tom, 
' '  and  never  aboard  er  craft  like ' 

"  Belay  that  man  an'  boy  gear,  Tom,"  said  Jack, 
"  I's  thinking  —  Say,  mates,  let's  give  the  ole  man 
er  hawser.  It's  took  er  pile  of  money  to  fit  out 


LAUNCHING  OF  THE  ^  VIGILANT"      195 

this  ship,  an'  fer  one  I  wants  er  interest  in  this  ven- 
ture. What  say,  mates?" 

"  We's  agreed,"  exclaimed   all   hands. 

"You've  got  the  best  jaw  tackle,  Jack.  Lay  aft 
an'  reel  off  the  yarn  to  the  ole  man." 

"No,  mates,"  said  Jack,  "Tom's  er  good  yarner. 
He's  never  seen  er  real  ghost,  but  then  he's  seen 
the  Flyin'  Dutchman,  an'  he's  er  older  han',  an'  the 
honor  belongs  to  him." 

After  thoroughly  discussing  the  question  among  the 
sailors,  Tom  and  Jack  endeavoring  to  prove  each  other 
the  better  fellow,  the  question  was  settled  on  honor,  and 
Tom  was  delegated  to  represent  the  forecastle  on  the 
quarter-deck,  but  warned  not  to  loose  that  '  man  an' 
boy  sail. ' 

"Well,  Tom,  what  can  I  do  for  you?"  inquired 
the  Captain,  as  Tom  stood  at  the  cabin  door,  hat  in 
hand,  really  at  loss  to  know  how  to  begin. 

"I  wants  to  speak  to  you,  sir,  on  bisness,"  said 
Tom,  with  the  rim  of  his  hat  in  his  mouth,  bashful 
as  a  schoolboy. 

"All  right,  Tom,  walk  in  and  take  a  seat,"  said  the 
Captain.  "Pretty  fine  ship  we  have,  isn't  she, 
Tom  ? ' ' 

"That  she  is,  sir,"  said  Tom,  "an*  me  an'  my 
mates  wants  er  interest  in  her.  You  see,  Captain,  we's 
just  been  paid  off  an'  didn't  go  ashore,  but  comes  right 
erboard.  We  has  er  hundred  an'  fifty,  each  of  us,  which, 


196  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

Jack  says,  an'  he's  edicated,  make  three  thousan'  dol- 
lars, that  the  boardin'  house  sharks  won't  get  this 
voyage;  an'  we'ud  like  to  be  ship  owners.  If  we 
can't  have  er  piece  of  the  ship,  you  can  have  the 
money,  Captain.  Money  never  does  us  sailors  any 
good,  anyway." 

"Why,  Tom,"  said  the  Captain,  overwhelmed  with 
the  kindness  and  generosity  of  the  sailors,  "you  shall 
all  have  a  share  in  this  enterprise,  and  I  will  have 
certificates  of  ownership  made  out  this  very  day;  and 
more,  as  this  voyage  does  not  promise  any  returns 
on  the  investment,  your  money  shall  draw  interest 
as  if  you  had  put  it  in  the  bank." 

"No,  Captain,  when  we  becomes  ship  owners  we 
takes  our  chances  with  the  rest.  Ship  business,  you 
know,  Captain,  is  square-rigged,  an'  not  like  the  Ian' 
shar£  concerns,  where  a  few  what  have  the  /weather 
gauge  bear  away  with  square  yards  an'  leaves  the 
rest  stranded  on  a  lee  shore." 

"All  right,  Tom.  Tell  your  mates  that  I  fully 
appreciate  their  sympathy  and  interest  and  that  they 
have  made  Missus  the  happiest  Captain  afloat." 

"  Missus  Captain  ?"  said  Tom  with  a  puzzled  ex- 
pression. "She  ought  to  be,  beggin'  your  pardon, 
Captain." 

"I  forgot,  Tom,  you  did  not  know  that  the 
underwriters  and  owners  of  the  old  ship  gave  Missus 
a  Captain's  commission,  what  is  called  honorary,  as 


LAUNCHING  OF  THE  "VIGILANT"      197 

a  compliment  for  the  valuable  service  rendered  on 
our  last  voyage." 

"If  it  hain't  out  er  trim,  Captain,  we'd  like  to 
celebrate  in  honor  of  the  new  Captain,"  said  Tom; 
then  hesitating,  "  No,  I  guess  it  won't  be  pleasant 
for  her." 

"We  will  all  celebrate  when  we  get  back,"  said 
the  Captain  sadly. 

"There's  one  more  thing,  Captain,  beggin'  your 
pardon.  You  knows  we's  sailors,  an'  we  don't  like 
that  big  stovepipe  an'  all  that  machinery  down  in 
the  hold.  There's  nothin'  shipshape  erbout  these 
smokers  crawlin'  erlong  through  the  water  like  er 
snake  in  the  grass,  an'  er  sailor  feels  disgraced  when 
he  sees  er  lot  er  coal  heavers  an'  mechanics  runnin' 
the  ship,  an'  all  he  has  to  do  is  wash  decks,  an'  clean 
brass  work." 

"I  don't  like  it  any  better  than  you  do,  Tom," 
replied  the  Captain,  "but  you  know  we  are  going  on 
a  desperate  voyage,  and  we  are  obliged  to  take  des- 
perate chances.  You  see  we  have  the  same  masts 
and  spars,  with  the  same  spread  of  canvas  as  if  we 
did  not  have  that  infernal  teapot  stowed  away  in  the 
hold.  We  will  use  the  steam  only  to  pull  us  through 
the  calms,  and  to  help  us  when  we  get  after  the 
natives." 

"All  right,  Captain,"  said  Tom,  his  face  bright- 
ening, "  I  tole  mates  you  was  too  much  of  er  sailor 


198  RESCUED  er  A  PRINCE 

to  mix  up  with  these  new  fangled  ideas  of  sailin' 
ships,  an'  now  I  can  tell  'em  what  you  says ;  but, 
Captain,  have  we  got  to  'sociate  with  the  men  that 
shovels  the  coal  an'  runs  the  machinery?" 

"Not  unless  you  want  to,  Tom.  They  have  their 
quarters,  you  have  yours.  They  know  no  more  about 
your  duties,  or  how  to  perform  them,  than  you  know 
about  theirs.  But,  Tom,"  said  the  Captain  in  a  con- 
fidential way,  "when  we  can  no  longer  feel  the  good 
ship  careening  to  leeward  under  pressure  of  her  own 
canvas,  and  watch  the  snow-white  sails  bellying  to 
the  breeze,  lifting  the  ship  as  she  glides  through  the 
water,  leaping  from  billow  to  billow  like  a  thing  of 
life,  shaking  the  spray  from  her  bows,  dashing  it 
aloft  and  around  and  leaving  a  foaming  eddying  wake 
behind  her,  we  will  quit  the  sea  and  go  to  farming." 

The  Captain's  loyalty  to  sailing  ships  could  no 
longer  be  doubted.  Tom  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  with 
a  sigh  of  relief  grasped  his  hand  and  said  : 

"I  knows  you  is  all  right,  an'  Jack,  he's  edicated, 
says  you'r  all  right,  but  mates  thought  you  is  goin' 
off  on  the  wrong  tack.  We  is  goin'  to  stan'  by  you, 
Captain,  teapot  or  no  teapot,  but  it'll  ease  our  min's 
to  know  that  you  still  hang  to  the  true  sailor  style 
of  navigation." 


CHAPTER    XVII. 
THE  SAILING  OF  THE  "VIGILANT" 

•"•pHE  ship,  swinging  to  her  moorings,  ready  for  sea, 
*  with  her  long  black  hull,  low  sit,  tall  masts,  and 
square  yards,  presenting  a  magnificent  picture  of  nautical 
beauty  and  architecture,  was  the  admiration  of  both 
sailors  and  landsmen.  Neither  a  merchantman  nor  a 
man-of-war,  she  had  the  trim  appearance  of  a  rev- 
enue cutter,  or,  as  fancy  would  picture  from  the  his- 
tory of  that  famous  craft,  the  privateer  of  revolutionary 
time,  with  the  additional  improvement  of  steam  and 
modern  build.  The  between  decks  were  fitted  up  for 
the  accommodation  of  the  crew.  The  Captain's  wife 
had,  through  the  generosity  of  Mr.  Hardy  and  others 
of  the  old  ship's  owners,  for  her  own  private  use  a 
luxuriously  furnished  saloon,  of  which  Mrs.  Hardy 
superintended  the  arrangements.  The  selection  of 
carpet,  furniture,  and  bric-a-brac  were  made  with  great 
care  by  this  motherly  lady,  as  if  the  ship  was  fitting 
out  for  the  rescue  of  her  own  son,  and  she  was  pre- 
paring to  entertain  him  in  royal  style. 

"  I  know  you  can  take  no  interest  in  all  this  fixing, 
dear,"  said   Mrs.    Hardy,    as  the  Captain's  wife  sadly 
099) 


200  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

surveyed  the  pretty  cabin,  "  but  on  the  return  voy- 
age after  you  have  found  your  boy,  then  you  will 
enjoy  it." 

Next  forward  was  the  Captain's  cabin,  then  the 
officers',  and  dining  saloon  ;  forward  of  these  were  the 
engineers',  firemens',  and  sailors'  quarters.  In  their 
places  on  the  holystoned  deck  were  the  four  brass 
cannon,  the  pride  of  the  sailors,  who  kept  them  pol- 
ished to  the  highest  degree.  Adjustable  steel  wire 
netting  completely  surrounded  the  ship  above  the  rail 
to  the  height  of  six  feet,  making  it  impossible  for 
a  native  to  gain  a  foothold  on  her  deck;  the  wheel- 
house  was  protected  from  the  arrows  and  spears  of 
the  natives  by  closely  woven  steel  wire  mats,  which 
could  easily  be  adjusted  when  necessary;  but  the  most 
ingenious  device  was  a  heavy  steel  wire  net  so  ar- 
ranged as  to  fold  and  lay  along  and  under  the  rail,  and 
when  rigged  extended  outward  twelve  feet,  having  a 
drop  from  the  level  of  the  rail  to  the  water's  edge 
completely  encircling  the  ship.  A  current  of  electricity 
from  the  dynamo  could  be  sent  through  the  rod  that 
held  the  net.  This  was  for  the  protection  of  the 
ship  while  lying  at  anchor  among  the  islands,  making 
her  as  secure  from  native  attacks  as  if  she  had  been 
inclosed  by  solid  walls  of  masonry.  No  force  of 
natives  could  ever  cross  that  death-dealing  wire  when 
the  current  was  on. 

This   was   the   device   of   a    young    electrician,    who 


THE  SAILING  OF  THE  "  VIGILANT"     201 

at  that  time  was  considered  visionary,  but  has  since 
risen  to  fame  and  fortune,  whose  name  is  now  a 
household  word  throughout  the  civilized  world. 

The   ship   was  unique,   both  in  her  construction  and 
outfitting,    and    her    mission    unparalleled. 

Who  but  a  mother  could  plan  such  an  expedition, 
and  enlist,  through  sympathy,  the  brains  and  skill 
of  a  nation;  not  one  of  the  vast  multitude,  who  by 
their  united  effort  made  it  possible  to  fit  out  the 
ship,  could  give  any  logical  reason  for  sending  a  ship 
to  search  the  world  for  a  lost  boy.  It  was  senti- 
ment which  stimulated  the  brain  and  intensified  the 
skill  that  produced  a  marvel  in  mechanical  and 
nautical  handiwork,  and  the  world  took  a  stride  of 
an  hundred  years.  The  mother  did  not  stop  to 
count  the  cost,  or  to  consider  the  difficulties  that 
must  be  overcome;  neither  did  she  try  by  logical 
argument,  as  man  would,  to  prove  how  it  was  pos- 
sible or  impossible  to  find  her  boy,  who  had  been 
among  the  savages  for  more  than  a  year,  and  might 
be  dead  or  removed  thousands  of  miles  from  the 
place  of  his  capture.  With  her  there  was  but  one 
thing  to  do:  fit  out  a  ship  and  search  until  the  boy 
was  found,  or  his  fate  known.  To  her  the  boy  was 
alive  and  would  be  rescued.  The  father's  reasoning 
gave  him  no  hope.  He  might  visit  every  island  in 
the  Indian  Archipelago  without  finding  a  trace  of 
the  lost  child,  and  he  might  locate  his  boy  and  fail 


202  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

to  rescue  him.  He  might  demolish  all  of  their  sea  coast 
villages  within  the  reach  of  his  guns,  but  how  could 
he  follow  them  inland  ?  While  reason  viewed  the 
enterprise  as  hopeless,  he  still  had  faith  in  his  wife's 
intuition,  or  whatever  it  may  be  called,  and  if  at 
times  he  doubted  the  possibility  of  success,  he  was 
ready  to  sacrifice  everything,  even  his  life,  in  obedience 
to  that  subconscious  power  so  strongly  developed  in 
his  wife  as  to  compel  every  one  to  comply  with  her  silent 
demands.  The  officers  and  crew  had  great  faith  in 
"Missus,"  and  while  they  might  have  doubted  the 
success  of  the  enterprise,  they  were  greatly  attached 
to  the  Captain  and  "Missus"  and  the  faint  hope  of 
finding  Harry,  "the  son  of  the  ship,''  for  whom  they 
all  felt  the  tender  love  and  sympathy  of  a  father, 
together  with  their  love  of  adventure  and  the  novelty 
of  the  cruise,  were  incentives  enough  to  create  a 
genuine  enthusiasm  for  what  promised  to  be  the 
most  hazardous  enterprise  of  their  already  eventful 
lives. 

The  ship  cleared  the  customs  for  the  Solomon 
Islands  on  a  trading  voyage,  and  while  the  custom 
house  officials  knew  full  well  the  destination  and  ob- 
ject of  the  cruise,  they  did  not  haggle  over  techni- 
calities, but  permitted  an  armed  cruiser  to  leave  port 
for  the  purpose  of  making  war  on  the  natives,  if 
necessary,  on  her  own  account. 

It   was   a   great    day   when   the  ship    sailed.     The 


THE  SAILIXG  OF  THE  "VIGILANT"      203 

sailors  were  in  their  glory,  and  long  before  daylight 
were  making  the  ship  trim  for  inspection  by  the 
Captain's  friends,  who  were  to  sail  down  the  harbor 
in  the  ship. 

"Man  an'  boy,  I've  sailed  salt  water  nigh  on  to 
forty  years,  an'  never  saw  as  trim  er  ship,"  said 
Tom,  as  he  and  the  sailors  were  lounging  about  the 
topgallant  forecastle  anxiously  waiting  for  the  order 
to  "  Man  the  capstan." 

"  Don  t  like  it,  Tom,"  said  Jack,  eyeing  the  smoke- 
stack and  tugging  away  at  a  tough  piece  of  navy. 

"Give  us  a  chaw,  mate,"  said  Tom,  with  a  con- 
temptuous glance  at  the  offending  black  funnel.  "  We'll 
wants  lots  er  navy  on  this  cruise, ' '  viciously  biting  off 
a  generous  ' '  chaw "  as  a  consoler  to  his  wounded 
pride,  "but  we's  got  that  infernal  ole  fantail  sailor's 
disgrace  out  er  water,  an'  we'll  show  the  Ian'  lubbers 
how  to  handle  er  ship  in  the  only  nateral  way." 

The  order  to  ' '  Man  the  windlass ' '  broke  up  the 
conversation  on  the  topgallant  forecastle,  and  the  old 
familiar  chant,  "we're  outward  bound,"  broke  the 
stillness  of  the  morning's  quiet,  as  the  sailors,  march- 
ing around  the  capstan  in  time  with  their  own  tune, 
quickly  "hove  short"  the  chain.  The  new  capstan 
windlass,  with  its  ease  and  rapidity,  was  a  great  sur- 
prise to  the  men,  and  when  the  order  came  "  Vast 
heaving,"  old  Tom  could  contain  himself  no  longer. 
''Man  an' "  "Sheet  home  the  topsail!"  from  the 


204  RESCUED  sr  A   PRINCE 

officer,  cut  short  his  usual  expression  on  such  oc«a- 
sions,  while  the  rattling  of  the  sheets  through  the 
blocks  was  a  more  pleasant  sound  to  the  sailors  than 
Tom's  declamation.  The  propeller  had  been  discon- 
nected from  the  shaft  and  hoisted  clear  of  the  water 
so  as  not  to  impede  the  progress  of  the  ship  under 
sail.  This  greatly  pleased  the  sailors,  and  if  the 
"sailor's  disgrace,"  as  they  called  it,  had  broken  adrift 
and  found  a  resting  place  in  Davy  Jones's  locker,  they 
would  have  danced  for  joy. 

The  Captain  was  nervously  pacing  the  quarter- 
deck, impatiently  waiting  for  his  friends  who  were 
coming  to  see  him  off  and  take  the  first  sail  on  the 
ship  in  which  they  were  so  much  interested,  while 
his  wife,  pale  with  suppressed  excitement,  stood  watch- 
ing the  sailors  as  they  performed  their  various  duties. 
Some  were  coiling  the  ropes,  others  apparently  were 
hanging  from  every  yard,  loosing  the  sails  and  making 
up  the  gaskets,  every  one  of  the  same  size  and  hang- 
ing uniformly  under  the  yards,  as  if  to  be  inspected 
by  an  admiral  of  some  rival  nation.  During  this 
maneuvering  of  the  sailors,  the  Captain's  wife  often 
glanced  toward  the  piers,  and  the  flush  on  her  face, 
as  the  first  tug  put  off,  indicated  that  she  was  as 
anxious  as  her  husband  to  fill  away  and  be  off  on 
their  long  journey  to  the  Indian  Ocean. 

Tug  after  tug,  loaded  with  men,  women  and  chil- 
dren, was  leaving  the  piers,  puffing  away  and  heading 


THE  SAILING  OF  THE  "  VIGILANT"      205 

for  the  ship.  Merchants  closed  their  offices  and  gave 
themselves  a  holiday.  Every  available  steamboat  was 
chartered  to  carry  down  the  harbor  those  who  could 
not  find  room  on  the  ship.  The  anchor  was  weighed 
and  the  ship  filled  away  amid  the  shouts  of  the  peo- 
ple, who,  unable  to  procure  passage  down  the  harbor, 
were  standing  on  the  piers  which  lined  the  harbor's  front. 

The  ship  increased  her  speed  as  sail  after  sail  was 
spread  to  a  strong  westerly  breeze,  until  she  left  the 
fleet  of  tugs  behind  and  ran  away  from  the  steamers 
that  were  following  in  her  wake. 

"I  guess  she  will  sustain  Donald's  reputation  for 
fast  sailing,  Captain,"  said  Mr.  Hardy,  looking  over 
the  ship's  side  and  then  at  the  fleet  of  small  steamers 
gradually  dropping  astern. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Captain,  well  pleased,  "she's  a 
sailer  and  no  mistake;  if  her  steam  power  is  equal  to  her 
canvas  she  will  fill  the  bill." 

"Why  didn't  you  try  the  steam  out  of  the  harbor, 
Captain?"  inquired  Mr.  Hardy. 

' '  Out  of  pure  respect  for  the  feelings  of  the  sailors, ' ' 
replied  the  Captain.  Those  poor  fellows  know  that  the 
prerogatives  of  the  old  salts  are  slipping  away  from 
them,  and  it  would  have  broken  their  noble  hearts  if  I 
had  not  given  them  a  chance  to  show  their  seamanship 
before  this  company,  and  they  have  acquitted  themselves 
with  honors.  They  are  the  finest  lot  of  men  that  ever 
steered  a  trick  or  reefed  a  topsail." 


ZOO  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

"The  old  sailor  don't  take  kindly  to  steam,  and  to 
me  it  seems  strange,  when  it  saves  so  much  work  and 
many  a  hard  drubbing,"  said  Mr.  Hardy. 

'  "Not  so  strange,  Mr.  Hardy,"  replied  the  Captain. 
' '  The  sailor  cannot  be  appreciated  for  his  full  worth 
as  a  man  because  he  is  not  known  by  those  whom  he 
serves.  His  little  diversions  in  foreign  ports,  unre- 
strained by  home  influences,  are  magnified  by  his  shore 
friends,  who,  without  the  training  and  discipline  of  the 
sailor,  would  give  cause  for  harsher  criticism  under 
like  conditions.  I  can't  help  a  feeling  of  regret  as  I 
notice  the  old  sailing  ships  falling  to  the  rear,  and 
steamers  coming  to  the  front.  The  old  tar  will  never 
make  a  steamship  sailor;  a  new  class  of  men  will  be 
trained  for  the  new  service.  Mechanics,  and  ordinary 
laborers  for  coal  heavers  and  deck  washers,  will  be  the 
sailor  of  the  future." 

"I  guess  you  are  right,  Captain,  but  what  will 
become  of  the  old  sailor?"" 

"O!  He  will  die  out,"  said  the  Captain  with  a 
sigh.  "He  has  had  his  day  and  filled  his  place,  but 
now  must  drop  out  to  make  room  for  the  onward  march 
of  invention  which  is  already  revolutionizing  the  world; 
but  romance  and  adventure  in  navigation  will  have  died 
with  him,  and  the  world  will  lose  the  class  of  brave  and 
honest  men  that  only  a  seafaring  life  in  sailing  ships 
can  produce.  The  young  sailor  will  adapt  himself  to 
the  new  order  of  things,  and  in  a  few  years  more  the 


THE    SAILING    OF    THE    "  VIGILANT"         207 

old  sailor,  as  we  know  him  today,  will  be  as  much 
of  a  curiosity  as  the  traditional  mermaid." 

"Well,  Captain,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Hardy  in  great 
surprise,  ' '  are  you  going  to  take  us  out  to  sea  ?  We 
are  past  the  lighthouse  and  the  tugs  are  a  mile  astern." 

' '  Slack  down  the  topgallant  sails  and  back  the  main 
topsail,"  ordered  the  Captain  ;  then  to  Mr.  Hardy,  "I 
am  in  no  great  hurry  to  part  with  such  genial  com- 
pany," looking  at  his  watch  ;  "  half  an  hour  since  we 
passed  Boston  light.  Nine  miles  in  half  an  hour. 
Must  have  had  a  strong  ebb  tide.  No  ship  can  reel 
off  nine  in  that  time." 

"You  did  not  call  upon  us  for  any  help."  said  Mr. 
Hardy.  "  How  did  you  manage  it?" 

"Why,  I  never  saw  anything  like  it,"  replied  the 
Captain  ;  "  every  one  had  something  to  give.  Old  Don- 
ald struck  off  a  good  figure  for  cash,  so  he  said  ;  the 
carpenter  donated  one  day's  pay  and  made  no  charge 
for  overtime  ;  the  merchants  and  fanners  fitted  us  out, 
and  to  cap  the  climax,  the  sailors  turned  in  three 
thousand,  Mr.  Baker  and  the  old  officers  turned  their 
assets  into  gold,  and  we  have  coin  enough  on  hand  to 
start  a  bank." 

"Glad  to  hear  it,"  said  Mr.  Hardy,  grasping  the 
Captain's  hand.  "  I  never  saw  such  a  general'  inter- 
est in  anything  before.  I  guess  the  old  saying,  '  All 
the  world's  akin  '  can  still  be  quoted,  but  if  you  need 
any  money  on  your  cruise  draw  on  us;"  then  with  a 
14 


208  RESCUED  BT  A    PRIXCE 

knowing  smile,  "  You/  know  how  to  make  a  draft, 
Captain." 

"  I  did  draw  on  you  pretty  heavy  the  last  voyage" 
said  the  Captain  triumphantly. 

"Yes,  you  did,  Captain,  but  you  brought  the  ship 
home,  and  I  guess  she  is  worth  her  bills  yet  a  while. 
The  underwriters  ought  to  have  pensioned  you  for 
life,"  said  Mr.  Hardy,  with  much  earnestness. 

"They  have  come  down  handsomely,"  replied  the 
Captain.  "They  have  presented  me  with  a  paid-up 
insurance  policy  for  the  cruise." 

The  steamers  were  soon  alongside,  and  with  the 
usual  handshaking  and  good  wishes,  the  crowd  was 
safely  transferred  to  the  tugs,  and  the  ship  filled  away 
amid  the  shouts  of  the  people,  ringing  of  bells,  and 
blowing  of  whistles.  The  steamers  returned  to  the 
city,  while  the  ship  shaped  her  course  for  her  long 
trip  to  the  other  side  of  the  globe. 

"How  kind  the  people  are,"  said  the  Captain's  wife, 
as  she  stood  watching  the  fleet  of  steamers  fading  from 
view. 

"  Yes,"  replied  her  husband  musingly,  "I  guess  I 
was  mistaken  when  I  said  that  our  troubles  are  our 
own,  and  that  owners  and  underwriters  will  give  us 
their  sympathy  but  not  their  money.  It  appears  that 
our  troubles  are  everybody's,  and  owners  and  under- 
writers will  invest  their  money,  as  it  has  been  proven 
in  our  case." 


THE  SAILING  OF  THE  "  VIGILANT"      209 

The  wind  was  fresh  from  the  west,  and  when  the 
ship  passed  Cape  Cod,  and  hauled  up  on  her  course, 
bringing  the  wind  two  points  abaft  the  beam,  every 
sail  was  drawing  to  the  best  advantage. 

"  Now's  the  time  to  see  what  she's  made  of,"  said 
Mr.  Baker,  as  he  came  aft  with  the  glass  and  log  line. 

All  hands  came  aft.  The  Captain  took  the  wheel, 
and  after  triming  each  sail  so  that  it  would  pull  to 
the  last  ounce,  said,  "  Heave  the  log."  Every  man 
watched  in  breathless  anxiety,  until  Bill,  who  was  hold- 
ing the  glass,  said  professionally,  "  S-a-n-d  out." 

"Seventeen  and  a  half,"  said  Mr.  Baker,  with  some 
hesitation. 

"Impossible!"  exclaimed  the  Captain  in  surprise. 
"That  log  line  is  wrong.  Measure  the  log  line,  Mr. 
Baker." 

While  Mr.  Baker  was  measuring  the  line  there 
was  more  excitement  than  the  same  men  had  ever 
manifested  in  the  worst  fight  they  had  taken  a  hand 
in,  for  who  ever  heard  of  a  ship  of  her  tonnage  sailing 
seventeen  and  a  half  knots.  Old  Tom,  out  of  respect 
to  Missus,  tried  hard  to  "behave  before  ladies,"  but 
could  not  contain  himself  any  longer. 

"Man   an'  boy,    I've " 

"Line  correct,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Baker. 

"Time  the  glass,"  ordered  the  Captain.  "Give 
me  the  glass,  Mr.  Baker,  and  you  go  below  and  count 
off  fifteen  seconds." 


210  RESCUED  BY  A   PRINCE 

"Turn, "came  the  word  from  Mr.  Baker,  who  was 
at  the  cronometer.  The  Captain  turned  the  glass; 
"time"  from  Mr.  Baker  and  "out"  from  the  Cap- 
tain came  simultaneously.  Log  line  and  fifteen  sec- 
ond glass  were  correct.  There  was  no  doubt  that 
the  ship  was  fully  up  to  the  builders'  estimate  of 
speed.  All  hands  were  greatly  elated,  for  a  fast  ship 
is  to  a  sailor  what  a  fast  horse  is  to  the  lover  of  the 
turf. 

As  the  ship  was  provided  with  steam  power,  the 
Captain  did  not  take  the  longer  route  laid  down  for 
sailing  ships,  but  made  a  straight  course  for  the 
equator  at  a  point  where  he  could  weather  Cape  Saint 
Rogue,  under  sail,  after  striking  the  southeast  trades. 
Entering  the  region  of  the  doldrums,  the  Captain  lost 
no  time  with  calms  and  light  baffling  winds,  but  con- 
nected the  propeller  with  the  shaft,  and  ordered  steam 
up.  The  ship  made  fourteen  knots  under  steam  alone, 
and  the  Captain  was  satisfied. 

"How  do  you  account  for  the  speed,  Captain?" 
asked  Mr.  Baker.  "Ships  don't  usually  come  up  to 
builders'  estimate." 

"Just  pure  luck,  Mr.  Baker;  can't  find  a  better 
term.  The  next  ship  built  on  this  model  may  fall 
short  as  much  as  this  one  runs  over.  To  illustrate,  take 
the  yacht  "America";  they  have  been  trying  to  build 
another  with  the  same  speed  ever  since  she  won  the 
cup,  and  when  they  found  they  could  not  do  it,  and  the 


THE  SAILING  OF  THE  '«  VIGILANT'''      211 

"America"  getting  old,  they  took  her  to  pieces,  one  tim- 
ber at  a  time,  and  carefully  replaced  each  timber  with 
a  new  one  modeled  exactly  like  the  old  one  taken  out, 
until  they  had  her  completely  rebuilt,  but  she  has  never 
sailed  since,  and  any  old  lime  juice  tub  of  a  yacht  can 
sail  all  around  her.  We  are  only  ten  days  out,  and 
we  cross  the  equator  tomorrow,"  said  the  Captain, 
glancing  at  the  black  smoke  pouring  out  of  the  fun- 
nels and  soiling  the  white  sails  snugly  furled  on  the 
yards. 

"She  beats  anything  I  have  ever  sailed  in,"  said 
Mr.  Baker,  in  a  semi-dissatisfied  tone,  as  he  viewed  the 
small  black  specks  on  the  white  holystoned  deck. 
"That1  reminds  me,  Captain  ;  the  boys  are  very  anxious 
to  know  whether  you  expect  old  Neptune  on  board 
when  we  cross  the  line.' 

"Really,  Mr.  Baker;"  replied  the  Captain,  "I  do 
not  approve  of  that  old  time  custom,  but  the  sailors 
look  upon  it  as  their  right,  and  cannot  understand  my 
objections.  I  suppose  we  will  have  to  permit  it,  espe- 
cially as  we  have  on  board  a  new  class  of  men  whom 
the  old  salt  is  not  very  friendly  to.  The  sailors  will 
show  the  firemen  and  coal  heavers  more  consideration 
after  they  are  duly  initiated,  and  a  better  feeling  will  exist 
between  them  after  the  ceremony.  Just  caution  the 
men  not  to  be  severe  on  the  candidates,  and  let  them 
have  their  fun." 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

OLD  NEPTUNE 

1 '  IT'S  kind  er  runnin'  free  of  the  ole  man  an'  Missus, 
under  the  sarcumstances,  to  have  ole  Neptune 
come  er  board,"  said  Tom,  taking  a  seat  on  the 
head  of  the  capstan,  with  the  rest  of  the  crew  grouped 
around  for  a  smoke,  and  to  plan  for  the  morrow's 
ceremonies. 

"Captain  an'  Missus  has  no  heart  in  this  bisness," 
said  Jack,  whose  education  had  won  for  him  a  position 
of  importance  in  all  their  discussions.  "They  just 
want  to  give  us  a  good  time  with  a  little  pleasant 
amusement.  Tve  not  been  used  to  such  consideration 
in  ships  I've  sailed.  You  must  have  had  plain  sailin' 
'fore  the  trouble  struck  the  ship,  but  we'll  see  them 
out  of  it." 

"You're  right,  mates,"  said  Tom,  who  had  over- 
come all  jealousies  and  held  Jack  in  great  respect  on 
account  of  his  "edication." 

:"Fore  this  voyage,"  continued  Tom,  glancing 
around  to  make  sure  no  lubber  was  present,  "the 
ole  man  allus  played  the  part  of  Neptune,  an  it 

(212) 


OLD  NEPTUNE  213 

would  er  done  ye  eyes  good  to  see  him  rigged  out 
with  all  his  fixin's,  crown  and  trident,  just  like  er 
reg'lar  play  actor.  Why  mates,  we'd  have  his  crown 
an'  trident  under  the  bows,  an'  he'd  rig  out  below, 
an'  while  all  han's  was  busy  heavin'  the  ship  to  for 
Neptune  to  come  er  longside  he'd  drop  overboard  out 
of  the  cabin  winder  an'  swim  close  er  long  the  lee  side 
of  the  ship  up  to  the  bows,  while  the  men  was  busy 
to  weather.  I'd  give  him  a  rope  an'  help  him  fix 
his  crown,  hair  an'  whiskers,  an'  then  he'd  come 
right  over  the  bows,  drip'in'  with  the  briny,  just 
like  er  king  er  the  ocean,  standin'  as  straight  as 
er  topmast,  look  er  round  the  ship  as  if  he'd  never 
seen  her  before,  an'  bring  his  trident  down  on  the 
focks'l  with  a  thud  that  makes  the  chills  crawl  up 
the  backs  of  the  greenies,  an'  hail  the  ship.  The 
new  han's  would  be  so  scared  they'd  never  knows 
'twas  the  ole  man  till  it  was  all  over,  an'  Missus 
was  happy  then,  an'  would  laff  an'  have  lots  of  fun. 
Jack,  you  never  hears  Missus  laff";  then  seriously, 
' '  I'd  give  er  year's  pay  to  see  Missus  laff  as  she 
uster  do.  She'd  say,  'Tom,  don'.t  hurt  'em.'  Missus 
is  allus  kind  an'  pleasant  like.  You  see,  mates,  I 
was  allus  what  you  calls  marster  of  sarimonies,  an* 
little  Harry  —  mates,  let's  give  it  up,"  wiping  his 
eyes  with  his  shirt  sleeve,  overcome  by  his  feelings 
in  talking  over  old  times. 

"Don't    know    but   you's    right,    Tom,"    said   Jack 


214  RESCUED  BT  A   PRJXCE 

sympathetically,  "but  them  Salamanders  clown  to  the 
other  end  of  that  infernal  smoke,"  choking  and  rub- 
bing his  eyes,  ' '  ought  er  be  interduced  to  ole  Nep- 
tune, but  its  driftin'  to  lu'ard,  mates,  to  admit  such 
lubbers,  with  ekal  rights  an'  privileges,  to  the  Ancient 
Order  of  Neptune." 

"Guess  we'll  have  to  do  it,"  said  Tom,  some- 
what irritated  by  a  cinder  that  had  lodged  in  his 
starboard  eye.  "We'll  be  easy  with  'em  on  Missus' 
account,  but  that  crowd  of  devil-helpers  must  be  ne- 
she-ated  out  er  respect  to  ole  Neptune." 

The  sailors  were  at  work  before  daylight  putting 
the  ship  in  trim  to  receive  the  god  of  the  ocean  in 
a  style  befitting  his  dignity,  and  making  the  neces- 
sary preparations  for  the  initiation.  The  longboat 
sitting  amidships,  upright,  in  her  checks,  was  filled 
with  water,  and  a  platform  built  nearly  half  way  over 
her,  on  which  was  placed  an  improvised  barber's  chair. 
A  mixture  of  tar  and  slush,  for  lather,  was  pre- 
pared, while  a  common  deck  bucket  served  as  a  shav- 
ing mug,  and  a  ship's  scraper  for  the  razor,  completed 
the  barber  outfit. 

The  Captain  and  officers  dressed  for  the  august 
occasion,  while  the  sailors  togged  out  in  their  shore 
clothes.  The  Captain's  wife,  although  not  approving 
of  such  ceremonies,  was  willing  to  gratify  the  sailors 
by  her  presence.  Mr.  Baker,  who  was  to  impersonate 
old  Neptune,  had  prepared  a  wig,  made  from  Manila 


OLD  NEPTUNE  215 

rope  yarns,  combed  and  bleached,  which  hung  in  a 
bushy  mass  well  down  over  his  shoulders;  whiskers 
made  of  the  same  material  reached  to  his  knees, 
which  gave  him  the  appearance  of  the  veritable  god 
of  the  sea. 

The  preparations  made  to  receive  Neptune  caused 
great  uneasiness  among  the  engineers  and  firemen, 
inasmuch  as  none  of  them,  with  the  exception  of  the 
chief  engineer,  had  ever  been  out  of  sight  of  land 
before  this  voyage,  and  whether  they  believed  the 
old  legend  or  not,  they  knew  that  to  them  it  would 
be  a  reality.  If  Neptune  was  nothing  but  a  myth, 
they  wrere  to  be  the  victims,  and  must  submit  to  the 
inevitable  with  as  good  grace  as  possible,  and  even 
up  in  the  future. 

The  Captain,  in  performing  his  part  of  the  cere- 
mony, took  an  altitude  of  the  sun,  and  made  the 
calculation  to  ascertain  the  correct  position  of  the 
ship,  then  gravely  ordered  Mr.  Baker  to  have  the 
new  hands  lay  aft. 

"  Men,"  said  the  Captain,  as  the  smoke-begrimed 
engineer's  gang  lined  up  on  the  quarter-deck,  wonder- 
ing what  was  coming,  and  how  it  would  end,  "it 
is  my  duty  to  show  you  the  line,  or  what  the  land- 
lubbers call  the  equator.  This  is  of  the  greatest 
importance  to  you  who  have  been  taught  that  the 
equator  is  an  imaginary  line  encircling  the  globe  half 
way  between  the  poles.  This  is  false,  as  you  can 


216  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

testify  from  your  own  observations.  You  will  also 
be  able  to  answer  the  first  question  that  His  Majesty 
will  ask  you";  then  confidentially,  "It  would  have 
gone  hard  with  you  if  I  had  not  taken  this  pre- 
caution at  the  last  minute;  I  really  did  not  know 
we  were  so  near  the  line.  Take  this  telescope  and 
bring  it  on  a  level  with  the  bowrail  and  tell  me 
what  you  see." 

The  man  next  to  the  Captain  took  the  glass  with 
a  trembling  hand,  and  looked  through  it  as  directed. 
Pallor  crept  over  his  face,  and  he  nearly  dropped  the 
glass  as  he  stammered  : 

"I  — see  — it!" 

' '  See  what  ?  ' '  gravely  inquired  the  Captain. 

"  The  line,  or  equator,  sir,"  his  teeth  chattering. 
"It  is  the   line;   never  say  equator  again,"  said  the 
Captain  sternly. 

The  telescope  was  passed  from  one  to  another  until 
they  all  declared  they  had  seen  the  line;  and  so  they 
had,  for  the  Captain  had  drawn  a  fine  thread  of  the 
spider's  web  across  the  object  glass  of  the  marine 
telescope. 

"The  line,"  explained  the  Captain,  "is  five  miles 
off.  You  may  return  to  your  duties,  but  at  three  bells 
come  aft,  and  I  will  show  you  the  line  astern." 

The  men  were  rather  credulous,  although  they  had 
been  taught  that  the  line  was  imaginary,  but  had  they 
not  seen  it  with  their  own  eyes?  They  were  not  fully 


OLD  NEPTUNE  217 

prepared  for  the  next  act  in  the  play.  Three  bells 
struck  and  the  men  promptly  laid  aft.  This  time  the 
Captain  dare  not  trust  the  glass  with  any  of  the  men 
without  some  kind  of  a  warning,  so  he  passed  it  to 
the  chief  engineer  and  told  him  to  report  what  he  saw. 
The  engineer  took  the  glass  and  leveled  it  over  the 
taffrail,  and  said  with  a  trembling  voice,  hardly  audi- 
ble: 

"  I  see  the  line  broken,  and  Neptune  in  his  nautilus- 
shaped  chariot,  with  four  seahorses,  coming  through 
the  gap." 

The  men  stared  at  each  other,  while  the  color  left 
their  faces;  they  seemed  inclined  to  run  away,  but  the 
Captain  raised  his  hand  and  solemnly  said  : 

"Men,  if  you  cannot  truthfully  tell  old  Neptune 
that  you^  saw  him  coming  through  the  break  in  the 
line  made  by  the  ship,  it  will  be  all  the  worse  for  you 
when  he  gets  on  board." 

At  this  each  man  in  turn  took  the  glass  and  declared 
that  they  saw  the  line  broken  and  Neptune  coming 
through  the  gap;  and  they  really  did,  for  during  the 
time  the  ship  had  been  crossing  the  equator  the  Captain 
had  placed  a  microscopic  picture  of  Neptune  over  the 
line  and  in  the  center  of  the  object  glass,  which  to 
any  one  unaccustomed  to  the  use  of  the  telescope,  and 
laboring  under  more  or  less  excitement,  would  have  the 
appearance  of  reality,  and  thus  deceive  more  people 
than  would  be  willing  to  admit  it. 


218  R 'ESC r ED  BT  A  PRINCE 

"  Now,"  said  the  Captain  to  the  thoroughly  alarmed 
men,  "you  have  seen  the  line  before  we  reached  it 
and  after  the  ship  passed  through,  and  are  convinced 
by  the  evidence  of  your  own  eyes  that  all  of  the  learned 
men  of  the  earth  are  wrong.  The  line  is  real  and 
Neptune  no  myth,  but  my  duty,  as  a  son  of  Neptune, 
demands  that  I  tell  you  more,  to  prepare  you  for  the 
examination,  which  will  be  severe.  The  breaking  of 
the  line  summons  Neptune  from  any  part  of  the  globe 
on  the  line,  and  he  follows  the  ship  through  and  repairs 
the  break.  If  you  will  look  through  the  telescope  now 
you  will  find  the  line  whole. ' ' 

The  engineer  took  the  glass  and  reported  the  line 
whole,  but  Neptune  could  not  be  seen. 

"  No,"  replied  the  Captain,  "  Neptune  and  his 
chariot  can  only  be  seen  when  in  contact  with  the 
line  or  ship,  and  as  his  team  never  touches  the 
ship,  it  is  visible  only  on  the  line.  You  are  lucky 
fellows ;  but  few  green  hands  have  seen  his  famous 
rig.  A  minute  later  and  you  would  have  missed 
a  sight  that  kings  would  give  their  crowns  to  wit- 
ness. He  happened  to  be  close  aboard  when  we 
crossed.  If  he  had  been  on  the  other  side  of  the  earth 
he  would  not  have  found  us  until  daylight  tomorrow, 
for  he  makes  the  circuit  of  the  earth  in  twenty -four 
hours." 

"Ship  a-h-o-y-ee  !  "  came  from  under  the  bows, 
and  Neptune,  shaking  the  salt  water  from  his  bushy 


OLD  NEPTUNE  219 

hair  and  long,  white  beard,  stepped  over  the  bows 
and  stood  erect  on  the  topgallant  forecastle,  with  his 
trident  pointing  defiantly  at  the  black  funnel,  pouring 
out  a  volume  of  smoke  and  cinders,  while  he  crit- 
ically surveyed  the  ship  till  his  eyes  rested  upon  the 
group  of  firemen  and  coal  heavers  who  crouched  in 
the  waist,  trembling  with  excitement. 

"  Hel-loo  !  "  responded  the  Captain,  speaking  through 
his  trumpet. 

"What  kind  of  a  craft  is  this,  hissing  along  through 
the  water  with  no  wind,  and  every  stitch  of  canvas 
furled?"  said  old  Neptune,  as  he  indignantly  strode 
aft  to  where  the  Captain  and  his  wife  were  standing 
to  receive  him.  "By  my  trident,  Captain,"  bringing 
the  butt  of  it  down  on  the  deck,  "if  it  was  not 
for  your  wife,  whom  I  have  met  before,"  bowing  to 
the  Captain's  wife,  "and  your  past  good  record  as 
a  sailor,  I  would  disrate  you  for  entering  my  domain 
in  such  a  craft  as  this,  and  these,"  looking  in  astonish- 
ment at  the  group  of  frightened  firemen. 

"  I  owe  you  an  apology,  Neptune/'  said  the  Captain, 
bowing.  "I  have  always  been  loyal  to  the  craft 
until  this  voyage,  but  I  am  on  a  desperate  cruise." 

"That  is  all  right,  Captain,  I  know  your  trouble, 
and  that  you  are  too  true  a  son  of  the  sea  to  violate 
your  vows  under  any  ordinary  circumstances ;  but 
whenever  you  cross  the  line  again  in  such  a  lubberly 
craft  'as  this,  heave  to  till  I  board.  The  line  caught 


220  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

in  your  infernal  twister,  and  wound  up  a  mile  of  it. 
and  it  took  me  so  long  to  pick  up  the  ends  and 
make  the  splice  you  got  the  start  of  me,  and  I  nearly 
winded  my  team  ;  then  they  took  fright  from  the  hissing, 
sizzling,  hot  water  that  is  coming  out  of  that  coffeepot 
spout,"  looking  over  the  side.  "My  team  is  no  where 
in  sight,"  he  continued,  shading  his  eyes  with  his 
hand  and  looking  around.  "But  I  must  get  down 
to  business  or  I  will  find  myself  at  the  south  pole.'' 
After  inquiring  where  the  ship  was  from  and 
where  bound,  he  said,  "  Are  there  any  green  hands 
aboard?" 

"Not  of  the  regular  sort,  Neptune,"  replied  the 
Captain,  "but  this  crowd  of  the  coming  sailor  kind," 
pointing  to  the  group  of  paralyzed  coal  heavers,  who 
had  listened  to  every  word  and  watched  every  motion 
of  Neptune  since  he  came  on  board. 

"Coming  sailor  kind,"  retorted  Neptune  with  a 
contemptuous  curl  of  his  lip ;  "  there  will  be  no  sailors 
of  the  future,  nothing  but  a  sort  of  landlubbers ;  but 
these  will  have  to  be  initiated  like  regular  sailors  if 
they  invade  my  domain.7'  Then  waving  his  hand  he 
continued,  "Send  the  lubbers  below  until  called  for. 
Well,  my  noble  sons  of  the  ocean,"  addressing  the  old 
sailors,  "have  you  any  complaint  to  make?" 

"Man   an'    boy " 

"Belay  that,  Tom,"  said  Neptune,  "I  have  heard 
that  preamble  for  forty  years,  and  your  experience 


OLD  NEPTUNE  221 

for  that  length  of  time  will  not  serve  you  in  the 
future.  With  all  your  seamanship,  if  it  was  not  for 
that  infernal  machinery  this  ship  would  be  slatting 
her  canvas  to  threads  in  a  dead  calm  instead  of  plow- 
ing the  briny  at  the  rate  of  fourteen  knots.  All  that 
is  left  for  the  sailor  is  to  steer  the  ship  and  keep  her 
clean,  if  such  a  thing  is  possible,"  sadly  surveying 
the  grimy  decks. 

' '  That's  what  we  complains  of,  Neptune.  These 
lubbers  are  takin'  our  places  an'  disgracin'  the  noble 
profession. ' ' 

"  My  son,"  solemnly  said  the  god  of  the  ocean, 
"Your  race  is  nearly  run,  and  you  will  soon  be  stowed 
away  in  Davy's  locker  where  your  shipmates  have 
preceded  you  ;  but  they  keeled  happy  before  they  saw 
the  disgrace  of  this  day.  Your  name  will  be  forgotten 
by  those  who  take  your  place.  There  is  no  help  for 
it.  My  duty  is  to  initiate  whatever  class  of  navigators 
the  landlubbers  send  into  my  domain.  My  laws  are 
eternal.  Bring  on  the  new  sailor." 

One  of  the  firemen,  blindfolded,  was  led  on  deck 
and  placed  in  the  barber's  chair. 

"Have   you  seen   the   line?"  asked    Neptune. 

"Yes,  sir,"   replied   the   candidate. 

' '  Are  you  convinced  that  your  teaching  about  the 
line  being  imaginary  has  been  wrong,  and  that  your 
knowledge  pilot  was  on  the  wrong  tack  ? " 

' '  Yes,    sir. " 


222  RESCUED  BT  A    PRINCE 

' '  Did  you  see  Neptune  and  his  chariot  with  his 
team  of  four  seahorses?" 

"Yes,    sir." 

"  Do  you  believe  that  Neptune  is  nothing  but  a 
myth,  without  personality?" 

"No,    sir." 

' '  You  solemnly  swear  by  my  trident  that  you  will 
protect  your  ship,  your  brother  sailor,  his  wife  and 
children,  with  your  life?" 

"Yes,  sir,"    in    a    trembling   voice. 

"You  swear  by  my  beard  that  you  will  obey  your 
wife,  for  with  the  new  sailor  comes  the  new  woman? 
You  swear  to  submit  to  her  dictations  without  a  mur- 
mur, and  in  fact  take  up  her  duties  which  genera- 
tions of  training  have  fitted  her  for,  and  permit  her, 
without  question,  to  assume  the  duties  of  man,  which 
she  is  better  qualified  to  perform  through  that  won- 
derful intuition,  recently  discovered,  which  knocks  gen- 
erations of  learning  and  experience  into  the  lee  scup- 
pers. ' '  t 

' '  Yes,   sir, ' '   with  hesitation. 

"You  swear  by  the  great  briny  to  lend  a  help- 
ing hand  to  any  distressed  sailor  within  your  cable's 
length?" 

"Yes,   sir." 

"You  swear  by  my  chariot  that  you  will  never 
shovel  a  pound  of  coal  when  there  is  wind  enough 
for  the  ship  to  make  more  way  under  her  own 


WHEN  A   BUCKET  OF  SALT   WATER  WAS  POURED   DOWN  THE   BIG 
END  OF  THE  TRUMPET. 


OLD  NEPTUNE  223 

catwas  than  with  your  infernal  squeaking  machin- 
ery?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  the  victim,  growing  nervous  un- 
der the  questioning. 

"Shave  off  that  lubberly  beard,"  ordered  Neptune 
to  his  assistant,  who  came  forward  and  lathered  the 
victim's  face,  not  omitting  mouth  and  ears,  with  the 
contents  of  the  slush  bucket,  applied  with  a  pitch 
swab.  The  barber,  with  a  ship's  scraper,  gravely 
proceeded  to  shave  off  the  stubby  beard.  It  was 
rather  hard  on  the  novice,  but  no  worse  than  one  might 
experience  in  some  country  barber  shop. 

"Hail  the  main  top,  my  son,"  said  Neptune,  pass- 
ing him  a  speaking  trumpet,  "  I  want  to  hear  what 
kind  of  a  voice  the  new  sailor  can  boast." 

The  poor  fellow  with  his  head  thrown  back  and 
lungs  expanded,  was  about  to  hail,  desiring  to  make 
a  good  record,  when  a  bucket  of  salt  water  was 
poured  down  the  big  end  of  the  trumpet ;  simul- 
taneously the  props  of  the  chair  were  knocked  away, 
precipitating  the  candidate  into  the  water.  Blindfolded, 
half  choked,  and  in  the  water,  his  nerves  at  their 
highest  tension,  face  smarting  from  the  effects  of  the 
rough  shave,  and  not  knowing  whether  he  was  in 
the  longboat  or  overboard,  his  actions  were  too  lu- 
dicrous to  describe,  but  are  left  to  the  imagination 
of  the  reader.  This  ended  the  ceremony,  and  the 

victim    was   taken   out   and  placed  under   guard,  while 
15 


224  RESCUED  nr  A   PRINCE 

his  comrades  were  passing  through  the  same  ordeal. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremonies  the  newly  in- 
itiated sailors  were  lined  up  on  the  quarter-deck  for 
the  parting  advice  of  old  Neptune. 

"My  sons,"  said  Neptune  tragically,  "before  the 
land  encroached  upon  my  domain,  I  was;  and  when 
the  waters  shall  again  cover  the  earth,  I  shall  be. 
No  craft  ante-dates  the  order  of  Neptune.  Listen  to 
my  counsel.  You  are  permitted  to  growl  about  the  quality 
of  grub,  and  abuse  the  officers  of  your  ship,  but  not 
in  their  presence  or  hearing.  It  is  your  right  to 
praise  your  last  ship  and  cause  dissatisfaction  among 
your  shipmates.  You  must  study  the  noble  art  of 
yarning,  which  will  be  taught  in  a  manner  as  here- 
after provided.  Every  yarn  spun  by  any  member  of 
this  order  shall  be  accepted  as  truth."  Then  turn- 
ing to  the  old  sailors,  he  continued,  "  My  tried  and 
faithful  sons,  your  duty  will  be  to  instruct  your 
brothers  in  the  noble  science  of  yarning,  and  keep 
alive  the  traditional  Flying  Dutchman,  and  all  other 
ghost  stories  with  graphic  recitals  of  your  own  ex- 
periences. You  are  authorized  to  confer  degrees,  in 
my  name,  upon  the  novices  when  they  can  qualify 
in  the  science,  and  the  best  hair-lifting  yaruer  shall 
be  their  leader."  Then  raising  his  hands  in  the 
manner  of  a  benediction,  he  concluded  solmenly,  "I 
now  proclaim  you  sons  of  Neptune,  with  all  the 
rights  and  privileges  of  the  sea  on  board  of  any  ship 


OLD  NEPTL\\E  225 

or  rig,  in  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  under  any 
flag."  Then  whistling  for  his  horses,  which  he  de- 
clared had  recovered  from  their  fright,  and  were  waiting 
under  the  bow,  left  in  the  same  manner  he  had  come  on 
board. 

The  sailors  were  satisfied  with  their  good  time, 
at  the  expense  of  their  fellows,  but  no  one  was 
hurt,  and  the  ceremonies  were  mild  in  comparison 
with  some  of  the  initiations  practiced  by  the  prominent 
secret  societies  on  land.  This  practice  among  the 
old-time  sailors,  rough  and  uncouth  as  it  may  seem, 
has  the  same  effect  and  produces  the  same  brotherly 
feeling  as  is  supposed  to  exist  in  fraternal  societies. 

The  social  condition  of  the  engineers  and  firemen  was 
greatly  improved,  aud  while  the  sailors  consider  them 
an  inferior  class,  they  no  longer  called  them  land- 
lubbers, for  they  now  belonged  to  the  brotherhood. 

Two  days  under  steam  carried  the  ship  into  a 
strong  southeast  trade.  The  propeller  was  hauled 
up,  "which  was  a  great  relief  to  the  firemen,  and  sail 
made,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  sailors,  and  the  ship 
under  the  influence  of  her  own  canvas,  bowled  along 
toward  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

ENGLISH   MAN-OF-WAR 

p)AssixG  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  and  following  the 
regular  route  for  sailing  vessels,  the  ship  arrived 
at  Sydney,  Australia,  seventy  days  from  port  to  port, 
having  used  her  steam  power  but  two  days  in  mak- 
ing the  long  distance.  The  ship  attracted  much  at- 
tention from  the  sailors  of  all  nationalities  in  the  harbor, 
and  the  seafaring  community  of  that  famous  seaport 
took  a  great  interest  in  her  from  the  first,  both  on 
account  of  her  remarkably  quick  passage  and  beau- 
tiful lines.  It  wras  evident  to  all  that  she  was  no 
ordinary  merchant  ship,  and  there  was  much  specula- 
tion as  to  the  nature  of  her  voyage.  Ship  news  spreads 
quickly  in  any  seaport,  and  before  the  ship  had  been 
at  anchor  six  hours  every  one  connected  with  ship- 
ping, from  sailor  to  broker,  knew  that  she  was  on  a 
trading  voyage  among  the  islands,  and  had  called  for 
fresh  provisions  and  water.  While  this  was  the  gen- 
eral opinion,  there  were  others  who  thought  differ- 
ently, as  the  following  conversation,  overheard  by  the 

(226) 


ENGLISH  MAN-OF-WAR  221 

Captain  as  he  was  smoking  a  cigar  in  the  club  fre- 
quented by  captains  and  naval  officers,  testified. 

"  She  is  no  honest  trader,"  said  a  full  red-faced 
man,  in  the  uniform  of  a  captain  of  the  English  navy. 

"What  makes  you  think  so? "inquired  his  com- 
panion, who  might  have  been  one  of  a  dozen  officials 
connected  with  the  customs  of  the  port. 

"  She  is  as  trim  as  a  man-of-war,  and  I  counted 
thirty  men  on  her  deck  this  morning,  and  she  may 
have  thirty  more.  Fifteen  men  would  be  a  large  crew 
for  her  tonnage.  Then  she  has  steam  power  ;  no  ordi- 
nary merchant  ship  would  be  fitted  out  in  that  shape." 
Then  a  whispered  conversation  of  which  the  Captain 
could  only  catch  a  stray  word  or  two,  such  as  ' '  mys- 
terious," and  "  ought  to  be  looked  after." 

"You  may  be  right,  Captain,"  said  the  official, 
swelling  up  with  his  own  importance,  "  but  she  is  an 
American  ship.  Papers  all  right,  and  the-government 
cannot  interfere  without  some  good  reason. " 

"These  Yankees  are  clever,"  replied  the  English 
captain.  "She  is  bound  for  China,  either  after  coolies 
or  opium  ;  take  my  word  for  it.  She  is  fitted  out  with 
sail  and  steam,  crew  enough  tor  a  man-of-war,  and  she 
is  well  prepared  to  fight,  and  with  those  four  large 
guns  on  her  deck,  she  would  make  it  interesting  for 
any  of  Her  Majesty's  gunboats  in  these  waters." 

' '  Do  you  think  I  had  better  report  my  suspicions 
to  the  office  ?  "  inquired  the  official. 


228  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

"  No  duty  was  ever  plainer,"  replied  the  English 
captain,  sipping  his  brandy  and  water. 

Captain  Willis  did  not  remain  to  hear  anything 
more,  but  hastened  on  board,  where  he  found  all 
hands  at  work  filling  water  and  taking  in  fresh  pro- 
visions from  the  lighters  alongside. 

' '  Order  the  engineer  to  get  up  steam  at  once,  Mr. 
Baker,"  said  the  Captain  as  he  came  over  the  side. 
"These  lime  juicers  think  we  are  smugglers  or  coolie 
catchers,  and  will  delay  us  if  we  can't  get  away.  I 
have  no  time  to  spare,  or  patience  to  wait  until  I  can 
make  the  authorities  understand  that  I  have  a  boy 
among  the  cannibals,  and  that  my  life  and  fortune  are 
staked  upon  an  enterprise  which  the  whole  force  of 
the  English  navy  in  this  part  of  the  world  dare  not 
undertake.  That  man-of-war,"  indicating  the  English- 
man, "would  try  to  prevent  us  leaving  the  harbor  if 
her  captain  knew  our  mission ;  we  might  not  get  out 
of  the  harbor  past  the  fort,  but  that  lime  juice  tub 
would  plow  the  waves  no  more." 

"They  are  always  meddling  with  other  people's 
business,  and  if  it  was  not  for  interfering  with  our 
cruise,  I'd  like  to  teach  Johnny  Bull  a  lesson  he  would 
not  forget,  and  show  the  beefeaters  that  we  don't 
need  any  guardian,"  said  Mr.  Baker,  contemptuously, 
as  he  started  to^  give  the  Captain's  order. 

The  Captain  made  no  reply  to  the  energetic  re- 
mark of  his  officer  and  friend,  but  continued  to  pace 


ENGLISH  MAX-OF-WAR  229 

the  bridge,  with  his  attention  equally  divided  between 
the  smoke  from  the  funnel  and  the  crowded  custom- 
house pier. 

"They  are  putting  off,"  said  Mr.  Baker,  as  an 
eight-oared  boat,  flying  the  custom's  flag  of  the  Colony, 
shot  out  into  the  stream  and  headed  for  the  ship. 

The  Captain  made  no  reply,  but  watched  the  boat 
until  she  was  nearly  alongside. 

"Muster  all  hands  in  the  gangway!"  ordered  .the 
Captain.  "Those  fellows  shall  not  board  this  ship. 
I  will  see  if  an  American  ship  has  any  rights  in  an 
English  port." 

"Lay  off!"  commanded  the  Captain,  as  the  boat 
was  making  a  circuit  to  lay  alongside. 

The  officer  of  the  boat  paid  no  attention  to  the 
Captain's  order,  but  shot  his  boat  up  to  the  gang- 
way. The  crew  threw  in  their  oars  in  the  neat  man- 
of-war  style,  while  the  bow  oarsman  stood  ready  with 
his  boat  hook. 

Mr.  Baker,  with  the  whole  ship's  company,  was  at 
the  gangway  ready  to  prevent  the  officers  from  com- 
ing on  board. 

"  I  shall  not  allow  you  to  board  this  ship,  sir," 
said  the  Captain,  addressing  the  officer  in  the  boat. 

The  custom's  official,  astonished  at  the  audacity 
of  the  Yankee  captain,  and  foaming  with  rage,  yelled: 

"Will  you  defy  Her  Majesty's  officer  in  the  per- 
formance of  his  duty?" 


230  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

"What    do    you    want    with    me,  sir?"    coolly    in 
quired  the  Captain. 

"I  am  ordered  to  search  your   ship,  sir."      Then 
to  his  men,    "Lay  on  board." 

But  thirty  gleaming  cutlasses  flashing  in  the  sun- 
light were  more  than  the  men  cared  to  pass  through 
and  the  order  was  not  obeyed. 

' '  I  thought  you  got  enough  of  searching  American 
ships  away  back  in  1812,''  said  the  Captain  taunt- 
ingly. "You  may  remember  something  about  that 
little  affair.  I  have  heard  my  father  tell  how  we 
knocked  some  false  ideas  out  of  your  heads,  and  that 
ever  since  we  had  been  granted  the  privilege  of  sail- 
ing the  high  seas  without  any  more  piratical  pre- 
sumption on  the  part  of  Great  Britain." 

"I'm  satisfied,  sir,"  said  the  enraged  officer,  "that 
my  suspicions  are  correct.  You  are  engaged  in  some 
unlawful  traffic,  sir.  I  will  search  your  ship,  sir,  if 
it  takes  all  the  force  of  Her  Majesty's  war  ships." 

"You  forgot  to  put  the  'sir'  on  that  last  sentence," 
said  the  Captain  ironically. 

The  officer,  chagrined  with  his  failure  to  board 
the  ship  and  smarting  under  the  taunting  words  of 
the  "Yankee  skipper,''  made  no  reply,  but  ordered 
his  men  to  shove  off  and  give  way. 

"Cast  off  the  lighters,"  ordered  the  Captain,  as 
he  watched  the  custom's  boat  pull  alongside  the  Eng- 
lish war  ship.  ' '  Let  down  the  out-rigger  nets,  and 


ENGLISH  MAN-OF-WAR  231 

start  the  dynamo.  We  will  try  our  own  brand  of 
lightning  on  these  lime  juicers.  They  are  free  traders 
and  admit  all  commodities  free  of  duty.  I  want  to 
see  how  the  thing  will  work,  anyway.  Then  speak- 
ing down  the  tube  to  the  engineer,  ' '  Connect  the  power 
with  the  windlass,  and  let  me  know  when  steam  is  up;  " 
and  to  Mr.  Baker,  "We  will  show  these  Englishmen 
a  Yankee  invention  that  will  make  their  eyes  stick 
out." 

Two  well  equipped  boats  put  off  from  the  English- 
man, with  orders  to  board  and  search  the  defiant 
Yankee.  It  was  soon  plain  to  the  Captain  that  their 
plan  was  to  attack  both  gangways  simultaneously, 
thereby  weakening  his  force  one-half  by  dividing  it 
to  defend  two  points  of  attack  at  the  same  time. 

The  Captain  silently  watched  their  maneuvering  in 
a  satisfied  manner.  He  gave  no  orders  for  the  de- 
fense of  the  ship,  but  all  hands  were  ready  for  action 
in  case  the  electric  current  failed  to  "repel  boarders." 

As  the  boats  came  up  alongside  of  the  wire  netting 
a  smile  of  derision  was  plainly  discernible  on  the 
faces  of  the  officers  in  command  of  the  boats.  It 
appeared  an  easy  task  to  raise  the  apparently  light 
and  harmless  netting,  force  their  boats  under  and 
reach  the  ship.  The  boats  made  a  small  circuit  so 
arranged  as  to  reach  the  points  of  attack  at  the  same 
time.  "Cease  rowing,"  was  plainly  heard  by  all  on 
board,  and  the  boats,  under  the  way  given  by  the 


232        ;        RESCUED  BY  A   PRINCE 

rowers,  shot  up  side  on  to  the  netting,  and  in  true 
man-of-war  style  every  man  seized  the  live  rod  hold- 
ing the  netting,  and  fell  back  into  the  bottom  of  the 
boat,  while  the  officers  and  coxswains  stood  speech- 
less, staring  at  the  apparently  dead  men. 

t 
"Heave    ahead!"     ordered    the    Captain,     and   the 

heavy  chain  was  rattling  around  the  windlass,  and  be- 
fore the  astonished  officers  had  recovered  from  the 
first  shock  of  their  surprise,  the  ring  of  the  anchor  was 
at  the  horse  pipe.  "Full  speed  ahead,"  sounded  the 
bell  in  the  engine  room,  and  the  propeller,  churning  the 
water,  threw  the  spray  over  the  lifeless  forms  of  the 
sailors  who  had  met  a  new  foe,  while  the  ship  gathered 
way  and  glided  through  the  smooth  water  of  the  harbor 
at  a  tremendous  rate,  leaving  the  boats  rocking  gently 
in  her  wake.  The  netting  was  stowed,  and  the  ship 
pointed  for  "The  Heads,"  while  the  half  stupefied 
English  officers  stared  vaguely  at  the  fast  receding 
Yankee  ship  which  they  had  failed  to  search. 

"She  works  like  a  spirit  compass,"  said  the  Cap- 
tain to  Mr.  Baker,  when  he  came  aft  after  stowing 
the  anchor. 

"I  wonder  if  they'll  be  after  us?"  queried  Mr. 
Baker,  with  a  serio-comic  expression,  while  '  taking 
a  farewell  look  at  the  vanquished  boats,  in  tow  of 
others  sent  out  from  the  man-of-war. 

"I  don't  care  what  they  do,"  replied  the  Captain, 
intently  watching  the  English  warship,  "if  they  do 


ENGLISH  MAN- OF-  WAR  233 

not  recover  from  their  surprise  in  time  to  signal 
' '  The  Heads ' '  before  we  pass.  We  can't  get  a  current 
on  that  fort." 

"Was  any  one  killed?"  anxiously  inquired  the 
Captain's  wife. 

' '  O  no,  our  young  experimenter  in  electrical  forces, 
who  fitted  us  out  with  the  lightning  machine  which 
was  so  interesting  to  the  Englishmen,  is  engaged  in 
missionary  work,  and  fixed  the  current  just  right  to 
convert,  but  not  strong  enough  to  kill;  which,  ac- 
cording to  modern  science,  a  shock  of  electricity  is 
beneficial  to  the  system.  I  ought  to  have  charged  them 
for  treatment,"  said  her  husband,  laughing  heartily. 

"  I  do  not  see  anything  to  laugh  about,  neither  do  I 
comprehend  the  necessity  of  your  last  act,"  said  his  wife 
reproachfully.  "Why  could  you  not  have  allowed  the 
officers  to  come  on  board  ?  We  have  nothing  to  conceal. 
You  may  need  favors  from  the  same  men  you  have  had 
so  much  fun  with.  You  cannot  afford  to  make  ene- 
mies." 

"Madam,  you  will  not  need  my  professional  serv- 
ices after  this  visit.  I  notice  for  the  first  time 
symptoms  of  your  complete  recovery,  but  I  will  drop 
in  occasionally.  Shall  I  forward  my  bill  to  your  hus- 
band?" said  the  Captain,  with  the  professional  air  of  a 
physician  who  had  made  as  many  calls  as  the  case  would 
in  any  way  permit.  "But  really,  my  dear,"  he  con- 
tinued, "  I  had  reasons  for  my  actions  that  the  circum- 


234  RESCUED  BT  A   PRIXCE 

stances  would  justify.  If  the  customhouse  officers 
had  boarded  this  ship,  I  would  have  been  compelled 
to  give  them  full  details  of  the  cruise,  which  might 
detain  us  for  weeks,  before  I  could  get  permission  to 
make  war,  on  my  own  account,  with  the  natives.  Then 
that  English  captain  would  consider  our  enterprise  too 
hazardous  for  a  private  affair,  and  we  would  have  been 
compelled  to  sink  his  old  tub,  but  we  could  not  pass 
the  fort.  The  case  would  become  an  international 
question,  and  we  would  lay  at  our  moorings  until  the 
ship  wore  out  her  keel  and  grounded  on  our  beef  bones. 
Harry  would  die  of  old  age,  having  ruled  his  subjects 
wisely,  and  we,"  winking  at  Mr.  Baker,  "  would  find 
our  dusky  grandchildren  burning  incense  to  their  la- 
mented father,  The  Great  White  King."  But  his  wife 
had  retired  to  her  cabin,  and  did  not  hear  the  conclusion 
of  what  might  have  been.  "Here  we  are,"  continued 
the  Captain,  "off  the  fort,  and  they  have  not  yet 
received  the  news  of  the  great  Yankee  victory  over 
Her  Majesty's  war  ship,  what's  her  name?  Dip  the 
flag,  Mr.  Baker.  I  hate  to  drop  the  starry  to  the 
gridiron,  but  then  it  is  nothing  more  than  touching 
one's  cap  in  common  politeness,  and  we  had  bet- 
ter be  civil  until  we  get  blue  water  under  our 
keel." 

The  salute  was  promptly  answered  from  the  fort, 
and  the  next  moment  ran  up  an  answering  penant. 
The  Captain  seized  his  telescope,  and,  bringing  it  to 


ENGLISH  MAN- OF-  WAR  235 

bear  onto  the  English  man-of-war,  read  the  International 
code  signal,  "  Don't  permit  that  American  ship  to  pass 
the  fort." 

A  puff  of  smoke,  and  a  shot  from  the  fort  crossed 
the  bow.  The  ship  did  not  round  to,  and  a  dozen 
followed,  but  they  all  fell  short,  and  the  "Vigilant"  was 
out  of  range,  and  there  was  nothing  in  the  harbor 
that  could  catch  her.  The  Captain  ran  up  a  signal 
which  read,  "Save  your  shot  for  closer  range."  Clear 
of  the  harbor,  fires  were  hauled,  sail  made,  and  the 
ship's  course  laid  for  Stewart  Island. 

"What's  the  matter,  Tom  ?"  inquired  Jack,  as  his 
shipmate  lit  his  pipe  and  took  his  seat  at  the  foot  of 
the  capstan. 

"  I's  thinkin',  Jack,"  replied  Tom,  "an'  it's  hard 
on  er  ole  un  to  think,  I  can't  make  out  what  it  was 
what  laid  out  the  juicers.  I'se  putty  use  ter  the  ole 
man,  but  this  last  trick  knocks  me  all  erback.  You's 
edicated,  Jack,  can  you  give  er  mate  er  hawser?" 

"Don't  know's  I  can,  Tom.  I  seen  in  the  papers 
that  er  man  in  Boston  or  New  York  had  got  the 
weather  gauge  of  lightnin',  an'  that  he  could  make  it 
by  machinery,  but  how  they  send  it  around  the  ship 
an'  knock  able-bodied  sailors  down  like  ten  pins,  I 
don't  know." 

"Does   it    kill   'em,    Jack?"   inquired  Tom. 

"No,"  replied  Jack,  "It  kind  er  puts  them  to 
sleep  for  er  while,  an'  when  they  wakes  up  they  are 


236  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

all   right,     an'    feel   better   than    they   did    erfore.       It 
cures    rumaticks   an'    drives   away   ghosts." 

"Man  an'  boy,  I've  sailed  salt  water  for  forty 
years,  an'  now  I'se  goin'  to  quit.  Ole  Neptune  was 
right  ;  my  day  is  past.  When  steam  an'  lightuin'  is 
interduced  to  navigation  the  ole  sailor  must  drop  to 
lu'ard,"  said  old  Tom,  sorrowfully,  as  he  knocked 
the  ashes  from  his  pipe  and  went  below  to  turn  in. 

On  the  morning  of  the  seventh  day  after  leaving 
Sydney,  the  island  was  sighted,  steam  ordered  up, 
sails  snugly  furled,  and  the  wire  nettings  rigged 
above  the  rail.  The  ship  under  slow  speed  cautiously 
approached  the  land.  The  Captain  nervously  walked 
the  bridge  with  his  telescope  under  his  arm,  stopping 
and  raising  his  glass  whenever  any  new  object  was 
brought  into  view  as  the  ship  neared  the  island.  His 
wife,  pale  and  expectant,  sat  at  the  end  of  the  bridge, 
silently  watching  her  husband,  anxious  to  catch  the 
first  sign  of  hope  from  the  expression  of  his  face 
The  officers  and  crew,  in  full  sympathy  writh  the 
bereaved  parents,  hoping,  yet  fearing  the  results  of 
the  unique  expedition,  tried  to  control  their  agoni- 
zing suspense  by  extra  quids  of  tobacco,  the  only 
solace  of  the  old  salt  in  trouble,  and  his  grief,  which 
is  short-lived,  can  be  gauged  by  the  amount  of  the 
weed  consumed.  The  ship  now  close  to  the  island, 
the  Captain  was  endeavoring  to  make  out  the  en- 
trance of  the  little  harbor  he  had  entered  more  than  a 


ENGLISH  MAN-OF-WAR  237 

year  ago.  At  that  time  he  had  approached  the  island 
on  a  different  bearing-,  yet  the  entrance  appeared  promi- 
nent enough  to  be  easily  located  from  any  point  of 
the  compass.  While  the  Captain  was  looking  ahead 
for  a  break  in  the  uniform  coast  line,  his  wife  ex- 
claimed in  surprise  : 

"  There  is  the  harbor  !  "  pointing  two  points  abaft 
the  beam. 

While  the  harbor  was  in  full  view,  from  the  ship, 
it  could  not  be  seen  from  any  point  from  south  around 
to  east,  but  easily  made  out  from  east  to  north.  It 
was  on  some  bearing  between  the  last  two  points 
that  the  Captain  entered  the  harbor  when  he  followed 
the  natives  to  their  village. 

The  ship's  course  was  changed,  and  she  was  headed 
for  the  entrance. 

"There  don't  appear  to  be  any  life  on  this  island," 
said  the  Captain  with  a  sigh,  and  a  look  of  keen 
disappointment. 

"I   wonder  where  they  are,  Frank,"   said  his  wife. 

"  They  may  have  left  the  island,"  replied  her  hus- 
band. 

' '  Why  should  they  leave  the  island  ?  ' '  she  inquired 
in  great  surprise. 

"These  savages,"  replied  her  husband,  "  are  a  mi- 
gratory people,  and  like  the  Arabs  are  always  hunt- 
ing for  greener  grass  and  sweeter  water.  They  have 
no  property  interests  to  hold  them,  and  one  island  is 


238  RESCUED  Br  A   PRINCE 

as  good  as  another.  Then  these  tribes  are  continu- 
ally fighting  each  other,  and  they  may  have  been 
absorbed  into  a  more  powerful  tribe;  but  it  don't 
matter,  we  have  come  after  the  heathen,  and  we 
will  find  them." 

"We  will  certainly  find  Harry,"  said  the  Captain's 
wife  in  a  quiet,  determined  manner. 

"Stand  by  the  anchor,"  ordered  the  Captain,  then 
rang  slow  speed.  The  ship  was  now  abreast  of  the 
village,  or  where  it  was,  but  not  a  hut  was  stand- 
ing nor  a  canoe  in  sight. 

"Slow  astern,"  rang  the  bell,  and  the  ship  grad- 
ually lost  her  way,  remained  stationary  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  gathered  sternway. 

' '  Let  go  the  starboard  anchor, ' '  came  the  order 
from  the  Captain. 

A  splash  !  and  the  spray  from  the  plunge  of  the 
huge  mass  of  iron  fell  in  a  shower  upon  the  top- 
gallant forecastle,  while  the  chain  rattling  through 
the  horse  pipe  broke  the  stillness  of  the  desolate 
harbor  and  echoed  from  the  distant  hills. 

"There  is  no  one  on  this  island,"  said  the  Cap- 
tain to  Mr.  Baker,  as  the  latter  came  aft  and  re 
ported  the  ship  at  anchor  in  five  fathoms  of  water, 
with  thirty  fathoms  of  chain  clear  the  hawse. 

"It  looks  that  way,  sir,"  replied  the  officer,  with 
disappointment  stamped  in  every  feature. 

' '  Man    the  boat,    Mr.    Baker,    and    go    ashore,    and 


EXG  L  /.s  //  MA  A~-  OF-  Jl~.  i  /\  239 

see   if   you  can    find   any    evidence    of   a    fight,"    said 
the  Captain   wearily. 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  responded  the  officer,  and  in  less 
than  two  minutes  the  boat,  with  ten  men,  shoved 
off  and  pulled  for  the  shore. 

In  an  hour  the  boat  returned,  and  Mr.  Baker  re- 
ported that  the  village  had  been  destroyed  by  some 
man-of-war,  as  he  found  solid  shot  imbedded  in  the 
hillside  and  fragments  of  shells  among  the  ruins.  As 
evidence  of  his  assertions  he  had  brought  off  several 
pieces  of  shell  and  a  fifty-pound  solid  shot. 

"Those  fellows  have  been  up  to  some  deviltry," 
said  the  Captain,  examining  the  shot  and  fragments 
of  shell,  "  and  have  been  punished  by  some  war  ship 
that  has  destroyed  their  village." 

"Have  all  the  savages  been  killed?"  anxiously 
inquired  the  Captain's  wife. 

"  No,  not  one  of  them;  they  fled  inland,  as  they  did 
the  first  time  I  visited  this  place." 

"Yes,"  she  said  sadly,  "they  may  be  among  those 
hills  over  there,"  pointing  to  what  appeared  to  be  the 
backbone  of  the  little  island. 

"  I  don't  think  so,"  said  the  Captain.  "  Their  boats 
are  gone;  they  have  been  frightened,  and  no  doubt  have 
settled  on  some  other  island  further  away  from  the 
regular  track  of  ships.  Their  first  experience  in  civil- 
ized warfare  was  too  much  for  them.  We  must  go 
back  to  Sydney." 
16 


240  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

"I  think  you  are  right,"  said  his  wife,  "but  the 
authorities  will  make  us  trouble.  O  dear  !  I  wish  you 
had  been  more  careful.  We  may  need  the  services  of 

the  men " 

' '  I  gave  electrical  treatment  free  of  charge  when  it 
would  have  cost  the  English  government  a  dollar  a 
head  for  such  service  by  any  regular  M.  D."  interrupted 
her  husband,  smiling. 

"  I  don't  know  what  makes  you  talk  so,  Frank.  You 
never  look  to  the  future,"  said  his  wife,  wiping  her 
eyes. 

"Don't  want  to,"  said  her  husband.  "The  future 
is  always  to  be  dreaded;  but  don't  cry,  little  woman,  I 
always  get  out  of  my  difficulties — with  your  help, 
sweetheart." 

"  What  are  we  going  back  to  Sydney  for?"  inquired 
Mr.  Baker,  in  great  surprise. 

"Why,  Mr.  Baker,"  said  the  Captain,  is  it  possible 
you  are  so  stupid?  You  say  this  village  has  been 
destroyed  by  a  man-of-war.  Ships  of  war  are  not  very 
thick  in  these  waters.  The  men  that  we  treated  to 
the  latest  remedial  agency  known  to  medical  science, 
are  the  same  who  destroyed  this  city  and  laid  the  land 
desolate.  I  am  going  back  to  Sydney  for  information." 

"  Right  you  are,  Captain,"  said  the  officer,  bringing 
his  fist  down  on  the  rail  with  great  force.  ' '  Put  me 
on  bread  and  water ;  my  grub  is  too  rich,  and  it  makes 
more  blood  than  brains,  but  they'll  nab  us  sure." 


ENGLISH  MAN- OF-  WAR  241 

"O  no  they  won't;  I  will  be  as  humble  as  anew 
convert.  It's  rather  tough,  but  there  is  no  help  for 
it.  We  have  lost  our  reckoning  and  must  get  a  new 
departure.  But  we  are  losing  time.  Get  under  way 
at  once.  We  will  make  the  circuit  of  the  island  and 
see  if  there  are  any  signs  of  canoes.  If  we  cannot  find 
boats,  there  are  no  natives." 

The  ship  steamed  slowly  around  the  island,  but 
no  sign  of  life  was  visible.  Sail  was  made,  propeller 
hauled  up,  and  a  course  shaped  for  Sydney,  all  hands 
greatly  disappointed,  but  not  disheartened. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

GOOD   NEWS  OF  HARRY 

T  T  WAS  a  great  surprise  to  the  good  people  of  Sydney 
v.lien  the  Yankee  "smuggler"  steamed  into  the 
harbor  and  headed  direct  for  the  gunboat,  under  full, 
speed.  The  man-of-war  beat  to  quarters,  and  cleared 
the  decks  for  action,  for  after  defying  the  custom's; 
authorities,  man-of-war,  and  the  fort,  she  had  returned 
to  capture  the  gunboat,  and  take  the  city.  What 
other  purpose  had  the  daring  captain  of  that  mysterious 
ship  for  bearding  the  lion  in  his  den  ?  While  the 
English  sailors  stood  at  their  guns,  and  every  officer 
at  his  station,  the  captain  of  the  Yankee  ship  ran 
up  the  signal,  "  I  desire  to  communicate." 

"  Come  on  board,"  was  the  answering  signal. 
The  ship  continued  under  full  speed  until  nearly 
abreast  of  the  gunboat,  then  slowed  down,  came  to 
a  standstill  and  the  gig  was  lowered.  The  Captain 
and  his  wife  entered  the  boat  and  were  pulled  along- 
side of  the  Englishman,  while  the  ship  was  kept  under 
steerageway  by  steaming  slowly  around  the  harbor, 

just   outside  of   the    shipping. 
(242) 


GOOD  NEWS  OF  HARRT  243 

The  English  naval  officer  is  a  gentleman  under 
all  circumstances,  and  this  one  was  no  exception  to 
the  rule.  He  received  the  Captain  and  his  wife  with 
true  nautical  courtesy,  invited  them  to  his  cabin  and 
ordered  refreshments ;  but  he  could  not  fully  conceal 
his  astonishment  at  the  mysterious  conduct  of  the 
Yankee  captain,  whose  last  act  was  more  mystifying 
to  him  than  the  first.  The  Captain's  diplomacy  in 
taking  his  wife  along  no  doubt  relieved  the  embar- 
rassment of  the  situation,  and  made  the  stolid  naval 
officer  more  sociable  from  the  start;  for  men  of  all 
grades  and  classes  appear  to  the  best  advantage  when 
in  the  presence  of  ladies.  After  the  usual  formalities 
the  Englishman  politely  inquired : 

' '  To  what  am  I  indebted  for  the  honor  of  this 
visit?"  bowing  to  the  Captain's  wife. 

The  Captain  then  related  the  whole  story,  from  the 
capture  of  his  little  boy  to  that  hour  ;  then  rising  from 
his  seat  and  nervously  pacing  the  cabin,  said  in  a 
slow  and  solemn  manner:1  "  I  have  returned  to  Sydney, 
hoping  to  gain  some  information  about  the  Stewart 
Islanders.  Relying  on  the  pardon  and  sympathy  of 
the  people  whom  I  apparently  treated  outrageously, 
I  have  entered  this  port  and  placed  myself  at  the 
mercy  of  the  authorities  that  I  so  recently  defied. 
I  appeal  to  every  father  and  mother  in  this  city,  after 
knowing  the  facts,  to  justify  the  unlawful  act  of  a 
father  whose  only  son,  a  mere  babe,  the  life  of  his 


244  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

mother,  has  been  in  the  power  of  the  Solomon  Island 
cannibals  for  more  than  a  year." 

The  hard  lines  of  the  English  officer  softened,  while 
the  sympathetic  expression  of  the  man  and  brother  stole 
over  his  face,  as  he  listened  with  increasing  interest  to 
the  Captain's  story.  When  the  Captain  had  finished, 
he  said,  drawing  his  handkerchief  across  his  eyes: 

"  My  long  stay  on  this  station  has  affected  my  eyes 
and  they  are  so  weak  that  I  am  hardly  able  to  take  the 
altitudes  in  these  tropical  regions." 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Captain,  "the  bright  sunlight 
reflected  from  the  smooth  surface  of  the  water  is  very 
trying  to  the  eyes,  "using  his  own  handkerchief  freely, 
while  his  wife  wondered  why  men  would  lie  to  hide  the 
most  manly  sentiment  they  possessed. 

"Well,  Captain,"  said  the  English  officer,  "I  freely 
forgive  you  for  the  trick  played  on  my  men.  It 
really  did  them  good  and  several  have  declared  that 
they  have  been  cured  of  the  old  chronic  troubles  by 
that  electric  batter}-,"  laughing 'heartily  ;  then  seriously, 
' '  I  deeply  sympathize  with  you  and  your  good  lady. 
There  is  not  a  father  or  mother  in  Sydney  who  would 
not  rise  up  in  open  rebellion  against  any  authority  that 
dared  to  detain  you  one  moment,  or  place  a  straw  in 
your  way.  I  have  children  of  my  own,  and  I-  would 
not  have  stood  much  on  ceremony  if  one  of  my  boys 
was  among  those  cannibals ;  but  I  think  I  can  help 
you." 


GOOD  NEWS   OF  HARRT  245 

"O  can  you?"  inquired  the  Captain's  wife,  rising 
from  her  seat  and  rushing  up  to  the  English  officer, 
who  again  applied  his  handkerchief,  remarking  that 
his  eyes  troubled  him  more  than  usual,  since  his  last 
cruise  among  the  islands. 

"Yes,  my  dear  madam,  I  can  give  you  informa- 
tion that  may  assist  you  in  searching  for  your  boy. 
Two  months  ago,  while  cruising  among  the  islands, 
I  learned  that  a  trading  schooner  becalmed  off  Stew- 
art Island  was  attacked  by  the  natives,  who  mur- 
dered the  crew,  plundered  and  set  fire  to  the  ship. 
Determined  to  punish  the  rascals,  I  lost  no  time  in 
reaching  their  island.  You  saw  the  village  as  it  was  a 
year  ago  or  more  ;  it  was  the  finest  built  native  village 
you  will  find  in  a  year's  cruise,  and  you  know  the  con- 
dition it  is  in  now.  But  I  have  no  evidence  that  a  single 
native  was  injured  ;  they  ran  to  the  hills  like  a  flock 
of  frightened  sheep,  and  a  regiment  of  soldiers  could 
not  drive  them  out.  I  burned  their  village  and  de- 
stroyed every  one  of  their  boats.  There  were  hun- 
dreds of  them.  The  Stewart  Islanders  are  famous 
canoe  builders,  but  they  cannot  attack  ships  without 
boats.  You  are  mistaken  about  the  natives  leaving  the 
island,  Captain.  They  are  back  in  the  hills,  and  have 
not  sufficiently  recovered  from  their  fright  to  rebuild 
their  village,  but  no  doubt  are  preparing  another  fleet 
of  canoes.  The  Stewart  Islander  cannot  exist  without 
boats,  and  until  they  can  provide  themselves  with 


246  RESCUED  sr  A 

canoes  it  will  be  safe  for  ships  to  pass  their  island. 
I  steamed  into  their  snug  little  harbor  early  in  the 
morning,  and  took  them  by  surprise,  as  I  came 
from  the  south  and  the  bay  don't  open  up  until  you 
are  abreast  of  it.  While  sweeping  my  glass  around 
the  sandy  beach  I  was  very  much  surprised  to  notice 
a  little  boy,  with  a  large  Newfoundland  dog,  playing 
in  the  water,  while  a  slender  native  girl  stood  on  the 
shore,  intently  watching  the  boy  and  dog  at  play. 
The  alarm  was  given  from  the  village,  and  the  girl 
rushed  into  the  water  and  gently  took  the  boy  in  her 
arms  and  carried  him  to  the  beach.  The  dog,  and  the 
gentle  manner  of  the  native  girl  so  aroused  my  curi- 
osity that  I  watched  them  closely.  Standing  the  boy 
on  the  sand,  the  girl  took  him  by  the  hand  and  tried 
to  lead  him  away,  but  he  would  not  go  without  his 
dog  that  he  was  frantically  calling  '  Tumarkee,' 
which  I  presume  was  the  native  name  of  his 
dog " 

"He  was  saying  'Turn,'  meaning  come;  and 
Darkey  is  the  name  of  his  dog,"  interrupted  the 
Captain's  wife,  controlling  her  emotions  under  the 
trying  ordeal. 

"How  stupid  of  me,"  said  the  gallant  officer; 
"but  not  expecting  to  hear  my  own  language  under 
such  circumstances,  and  the  boy  some  distance  away, 
I  did  not  catch  the  articulation.  The  dog  swam 
ashore,  shook  himself  and  ran  to  his  little  master, 


Goon  XEWS   or  HARRT  247 

\vho  placed  his  arm  around  the  dog's  neck,  took  the 
girl's  hand  and  ran  away.  Then  I  noticed  for  the 
first  time  that  the  boy  was  not  a  native,  for  I  could 
plainly  see  his  long  hair  tossed  about  by  the  wind. 
I  had  become  so  deeply  interested  in  the  boy,  girl, 
and  dog  that  for  the  moment  I  forgot  what  I  was 
about,  and  came  near  beaching  the  ship.  The  vil- 
lagers were  running  like  rabbits,  and  out  of  range  of 
my  guns,  but  I  sent  a  few  solid  shot  after  them,  and 
dropped  a  few  shells  among  the  huts,  all  of  which 
only  hastened  their  mad  flight." 

"You  are  sure,  Captain,  you  did  not  hit  the  boy?" 
anxiously  inquired  the  Captain's  wife,  with  tears 
streaming  down  her  pale  face. 

"My  dear  madam,  there  was  not  a  drop  of  blood 
shed  by  my  shots,  and  I  would  as  soon  have  thought 
of  firing  on  my  own  family,  as  of  pointing  a  gun  in  the 
direction  of  that  boy.  There  has  not  been  an  hour 
since  that  morning  that  I  have  not  thought  of  the 
little  fellow  with  his  dog  among  the  cannibals,  but  I 
never  expected  to  meet  his  parents." 

"Then  you  think,  Captain,  that  the  natives  are 
on  the  island?"  said  the  Captain's  wife. 

"I  know   they  are  there,  madam." 

"How  do  you  know?"    asked  her  husband. 

"  Why..  Captain,  I  destroyed  every  one  of  their 
boats,"  replied  the  English  officer. 

"  How  stupid!      I   guess    they   could    not   swim    to 


248  RESCUED  BY  A   PRINCE 

the  next  island,  and  carry  their  baggage,"  said  the 
Yankee  Captain. 

"Captain,"  said  the  Englishman,  seriously,  "how 
can  you  hope  to  rescue  your  son  ?  Those  natives 
will  exterminate  your  whole  ship's  company  if  you 
attempt  to  follow  them  to  their  lair.  You  are  all 
right  on  board  of  your  ship,  and  could  defy  all  the 
natives  in  Australasia  with  your  electric  battery,  but 
it  will  be  a  different  kind  of  warfare  hunting  them 
in  their  native  jungle.  I  would  not  attempt  it  with 
all  the  force  at  my  command  on  this  station." 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Captain  Willis,  reflectively. 
"The  first  step  was  to  find  out  where  the  boy  is. 
That  I  have  accomplished  without  a  doubt,  and  if 
we  should  reason  a  plan  according  to  logic  on  the 
science  of  war,  this  enterprise  would  end  at  once; 
but  we  will  rescue  our  son;  that  is  all  I  can  say 
for  the  present." 

"We  will  certainly  find  our  boy,"  said  the  Cap- 
tain's wife,  in  such  an  assuring  voice  as  to  cause 
the  English  officer  to  look  at  her  wonderingly;  but 
he  remained  silent  for  a  moment,  and  then  said: 

"  There  is  a  white  chief,  or  king,  on  the  Louisiade 
Islands  who  has  held  absolute  sway  over  the  whole  group 
for  many  years,  and  of  late  a  company  of  white  men 
have  found  an  asylum  on  the  island,  who  are  his 
advisers  in  the'  formation  of  a  government  after  the 
model  of  civilized  nations." 


GOOD  NEWS  OF  HARRY  249 

"Who  is  this  white  chief?"  inquired  the  Cap- 
tain. 

"Some  twenty-five  years  ago,"  replied  the  officer, 
' ;  an  English  ship  was  wrecked  on  one  of  the  numerous 
coral  reefs  surrounding  these  islands,  and  all  hands 
perished  but  this  man,  who  after  floating  about  for 
several  days  lashed  to  a  spar,  was  picked  up,  ap- 
parently dead,  by  the  natives.  The  party  that  found 
him  immediately  prepared  for  a  feast,  and  while 
waiting  for  the  necessary  bed  of  coals,  the  victim 
arose,  and  walking  over  to  the  fire,  kicked  the  burn- 
ing wood  about;  then  seizing  a  burning  brand-  he 
chased  the  frightened  natives,  who  ran  to  the  village, 
and  reported  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  man  to  their 
chief.  His  prestige  was  established,  and  from  that 
day  he  has  ruled  the  islands,  although  he  did  not 
take  his  title  until  the  old  king  died.  He  abolished 
cannibalism,  and  has  greatly  improved  the  condition 
of  the  natives,  who  are  the  most  intelligent  of  all 
the  heathen  among  the  islands.  They  are  the  bitter 
enemies  of  all  cannibal  tribes,  but  more  especially 
the  Stewart  Islanders,  whom  they  despise,  and  their 
conflicts  bid  fair  to  outrival  the  Punic  wars.  You 
had  better  call  there  on  your  way  back;  they  are 
friendly  to  the  white  man." 

"Quite  a  romance!"  remarked  the  Captain; 
"sounds  like  the  wild  ravings  of  a  novelist;  but 
what  about  the  other  white  men  you  spoke  about  ? 


250  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

Have  they,  too,  laid  the  foundation  for  some  future 
writer  to  build  a  harrowing  tale  that  will  cause  a 
world- wide  sympathy  for  characters  that  are  created 
only  in  the  brain  of  some  dreamer?" 

"Captain,"  replied  the  officer,  "how  many  men 
are  capable  of  originating  one  new  idea  ?  The  mir.d 
is  not  quick  to  conceive,  but  fertile  in  yielding  when 
the  seed  is  planted.  No  man  can  write  a  novel 
without  the  seed  of  fact,  which  produces  according 
to  the  soil  in  which  it  is  planted  —  but  to  your 
question.  A  year  and  a  half  ago  a  number  of  con- 
victs, eighteen  I  think,  escaping  from  New  Caledonia 
in  an  open  boat,  met  with  a  severe  storm  and  were 
driven  by  the  force  of  the  wind  upon  these  islands, 
and  were  lucky  to  fall  into  such  friendly  hands." 

' '  They  must  be  Frenchmen , ' '  carelessly  remarked 
the  Captain,  with  a  knowing  look  toward  his 
wife. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  officer,  "but  I  have  never  met 
them.  When  I  was  at  the  island  the  old  chief  said 
they  were  away  on  a  fishing  expedition,  but  I  believe 
the  old  fellow  was  telling  a  falsehood." 

"  Captain  "  said  the  Yankee,  with  suppressed  emotion, 
' '  without  your  information  our  cruise  might  have 
been  a  failure,  but  with  the  location  of  our  boy  set- 
tled, and  the  assurance  of  help  from  the  white  kiny; 
of  the  Louisiades,  we  have  received  new  hope  and  en- 
couragement. Words  fail  to  express  our  gratitude 


GOOD  NEWS  OF  HARRT  251 

but  you  are  a  father  and  can  appreciate  our  feel- 
ings." 

"I  wish  I  could  do  more  for  you,"  said  the  kind- 
hearted  officer  with  much  feeling.  ' '  Is  there  nothing 
more  I  can  do  for  you,  Captain?" 

"  No,  thank  you.  I  am  fitted  out  for  two  years. 
If  I  do  not  find  the  boy  in  that  time,  I  may  call  upon 
you,"  said  the  Captain,  rising,  and  walking  slowly 
across  the  cabin.  The  English  Captain  immediately 
arose  and  led  the  way  on  deck. 

"  Will  you  kindly  signal  my  ship  to  come  within 
hail?"  said  the  Captain.  "You  cannot  imagine  how 
much  I  value  time." 

"I  will  not  detain  you  a  moment,  Captain,"  re- 
plied the  Englishman,  as  he  ordered  up  the  signals. 
As  the  "Vigilant,"  in  response  to  her  call,  came  up 
under  full  speed  and  slowed  down,  preparatory  to 
receiving  the  boat,  she  was  the  admiration  of  officers 
and  sailors  on  board  the  gunboat. 

"You  should  feel  proud  of  that  ship,  Captain;  she 
is  a  beauty,"  said  the  naval  officer. 

"Yes,  she  was  built  for  a  special  purpose,  and 
equipped  to  meet  all  contingencies,  and  there  are  not 
natives  enough  in  Australasia  to  board  that  ship 
when  the  machinery  is  in  good  working  order,"  re- 
turned the  Yankee  Captain,  with  a  merry  twinkle  in 
his  eye. 

"  Put  on  more  current  when  you  treat  the  natives." 


252  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

said  the  English  officer,  dryly.  "  If  you  don't,  they 
will  come  to  and  fight  you  with  renewed  energy  of 
a  storage  battery  well  charged. ' ' 

"I  think,  Captain,  that  we  treated  your  men  real 
mean,"  said  the  Captain's  wife,  with  a  reproachful 
look  at  her  husband. 

"  O,  no!  madam,"  replied  the  gallant  officer.  "  Your 
husband  understands  the  vexatious  delays  in  such  mat- 
ters, and  the  authorities  might  have  delayed  you  for 
a  week  before  they  reached  the  end  of  their  red  tape. 
My  duty  is  to  obey  orders,  and  I  would  have  boarded 
your  ship  if  my  men  had  not  been  struck  by  light- 
ning, manufactured  to  order  and  on  tap.  Great  Yankee 
invention,  Captain;  any  thunder  to  go  with  it?"  laugh- 
ing heartily. 

"Don't  forget  the  Louisiade  Islanders,  and  make  a 
confidant  of  the  king.  He  can  help  you  more  than 
the  whole  force  of  the  navy,"  was  the  parting  injunc- 
tion of  the  thoroughly  interested  Captain  of  Her 
Majesty's  naval  service. 

Reaching  the  deck  of  his  own  ship,  Captain  Willis 
dipped  the  stars  and  stripes,  which  salute  was  promptly 
returned  by  the  man-of-war,  followed  by  three  hearty 
cheers  from  the  English  sailors,  while  the  band  struck 
up,  "He's  a  jolly  good  fellow." 

"Full  speed  ahead,"  rang  the  bell  in  the  engine 
room,  and  the  ship  steamed  out  of  the  harbor  as 
quietly  as  she  had  entered,  less  than  two  hours 


Goon  NEWS   OF  HARRT  253 

before.  The  Captain  called  all  hands  aft  and  related 
to  them  his  interview  with  the  English  Captain.  The 
sailors  were  delighted  to  learn  that  little  Harry  was 
seen  alive  two  months  before,  but  surprised  to  know 
that  the  natives  were  still  on  the  island. 

"How  can  we  find  the  heathen?"  inquired  Mr. 
Baker,  ' '  and  where  are  we  to  get  men  to  protect 
the  ship  and  invade  the  island?" 

' '  I  guess  we  will  not  have  any  trouble  to  locate 
their  hiding  place."  replied  the  Captain,  with  a  know- 
ing look  at  his  wife,  who  was  sitting  on  the  bridge, 
absently  gazing  astern.  "  I  don't  know  just  how  we 
shall  invade  their  island,  but  the  boy  is  alive  and 
we  have  come  after  him.  We  are  now  bound  for 
the  Louisiade  Islands,  and  that  is  all  I  can  tell  you 
at  present.  Our  return  to"  Sydney  was  a  wise  move. 
We  might  have  spent  years  cruising  from  island  to 
island,  in  the  vain  endeavor  to  locate  them,  but  we 
now  know  where  the  boy  is,  and  we  will  have  him. 
For  the  present  I  have  no  plans,  but  we  must  keep 
moving." 

"That  we  will!"  exclaimed  every  man  in  chorus, 
and  "Three  cheers  for  the  lime  juicer!" 

The  wind  being  light,  the  ship  was  kept  under 
full  pressure  of  steam.  The  men  gathered  on  the 
topgallant  forecastle  and  engaged  in  their  usual  pas- 
time: smoking  their  old  clay  pipes  and  swapping  lies 
in  the  shape  of  long  spun  }$arns. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

THE  WHITE  KING  OF  THE  LOUISIADES 

/-^  ALMS  and  light  winds  prevailed,  and  the  ship  contin- 
^->  ued  on  her  course  under  steam  until  she  reached 
the  Louisiade  Island.  Before  the  anchor  was  down 
the  ship  was  surrounded  by  the  native  boats,  and  by  the 
time  she  was  moored  the  natives  were  swarming  on 
deck.  The  captain,  anxious  to  gain  their  good  will, 
encouraged  them  to  come  on  board.  They  were  fine 
looking,  manly  fallows,  and  spoke  more  or  less  Eng- 
lish., All  had  something  to  sell,  and  the  Captain  in- 
structed Mr.  Baker  to  trade  for  everything  offered. 
Calico,  beads,  tin  pans,  pipes  and  tobacco  were  brought 
on  deck,  and  the  bartering  began.  The  natives  never 
struck  a  Yankee  trading  ship  before,  and  were  as 
pleased  and  excited  as  so  many  children  enjoying  a 
holiday  at  a  county  fair. 

While  the  Captain  and  his  wife  were  watching  the 
exciting  scene  on  deck,  a  large  boat  put'  off  from 
the  shore,  and  was  pulled,  with  long  sweeping  strokes, 
directly  for  the  ship.  The  boat  was  manned  by  na- 
tives who  were  well  drilled,  and  handled  their  oars 
(254) 


THE   WHITE  KING  255 

in  a  true  nautical  style  that  would  have  won  admira- 
tion from  any  man-of-war's  crew.  The  Captain  rec- 
ognized the  boat  at  once,  but  he  was  more  particularly 
interested  in  the  white  man  seated  in  the  stern  sheets, 
who  maneuvered  his  boat  with  the  skill  of  a  trained 
sailor.  As  he  came  over  the  gangway  and  stepped 
on  deck,  all  noise  and  confusion  among  the  natives 
ceased,  and  the  respectful  attitude  assumed  by  the 
natives  assured  the  Captain  that  he  was  face  to  face 
with  the  white  chief  of  the  island,  who  with  his  six 
feet  of  height,  broad  shoulders  and '  dignified  bearing, 
looked  every  inch  a  king.  His  long  residence  in  the 
tropics  had  changed  his  skin  to  nearly  the  same  color 
as  that  of  the  natives,  but  his  iron-gray  hair  and 
long  white  beard  gave  him  the  venerable  and  dignified 
appearance  of  a  patriarch  of  some  Oriental  tribe.  He 
greeted  the  Captain  and  his  wife  in  a  boisterous  but 
cordial  manner,  pledging  eternal  friendship,  and  giving 
them  the  freedom  of  the  island  ;  then  inquired  if  his 
subjects  were  causing  any  annoyance. 

"No;"  replied  the  Captain,  "we  are  pleased  to 
trade  with  them.  They  appear  to  be  a  superior  class 
of  natives,  and  I,  being  a  Yankee,  must  encourage 
trade  to  keep  up  the  reputation  of  the  nation." 

The  chief  laughed  heartily,   well    pleased    with    the 

Captain's  compliment,  and  motioned   to  the  natives  to 

continue  their   trading,  saying    to    the    Captain,    as   he 

followed    him    to    the   cabin,  ' '  They   will   know   more 

17 


256  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

about  trading  when  they  get  through  with  the 
Yankees." 

The  Captain  and  his  wife,  anxious  to  make  a  good 
impression  on  the  chief,  entertained  him  in  royal  style, 
and  by  the  time  he  had  sampled  several  brands  of  liquid 
refreshments  he  was  ready  to  divide  his  kingdom  with 
them.  When  the  Captain  stated  the  object  of  his  visit, 
and  related  the  circumstances  that  had  led  up  to  his 
arrival,  not  forgetting  to  mention  all  the  good  things 
the  English  Captain  had  said  of  the  chief,  he  was  well 
pleased,  both  with  the  praise  of  the  naval  officer  and 
the  confidential  manner  in  which  the  Captain  treated 
him.  He  did  not  show  the  least  emotion  at  the  recital 
of  the  story  connected  with  the  lost  boy  among  the 
cannibals,  but  on  the  contrary  appeared  to  be  bored, 
which  greatly  surprised  the  Captain's  wife,  and  required 
a  great  deal  of  self-control  on  her  part  to  conceal  her  real 
feelings  toward  him.  She  could  not  comprehend  any 
conditions  or  environments  that  would  so  dull  the  finer 
nature  of  a  white  man  that  he  could  feel  no  sympathy 
for  the  sad  fate  of  her  boy.  She  could  not  realize  that 
his  twenty-five  years'  association  with  savages  had 
bereft  him  of  all  sentiment  and  placed  him  on  a  level 
with  his  savage  subjects.  But  he  seemed  particularly 
friendly  toward  the  Captain  and  his  wife. 

' '  Those  Solomon  Islanders  are  blarsted  dogs,  and 
ought  to  be  wiped  off  the  earth,"  said  the  chief,  plainly 
indicating  his  English  origin  by  his  speech.  ' '  Come 


THE    WHITE  KING  257 

ashore  with  me.  I  want  to  introduce  you  to  some  more 
white  men,"  rising  and  leading  the  way  on  deck  without 
further  ceremony. 

The  Captain  and  his  wife  followed,  and  entered  the 
boat,  which  was  rapidly  pulled  ashore.  The  chief 
silently  led  the  wa3r  to  a  large  hut  located  in  the  center 
of  the  well  constructed  village.  This  structure,  which 
proved  to  be  the  council  house  or  national  capital,  was 
oblong,  with  a  thatched  oval  roof,  and  would  hold  per- 
haps a  hundred  people.  Matting  covered  the  floor, 
and  at  the  further  end  from  the  entrance  was  a  rude 
platform,  upon  which  was  a  large  homemade  chair  or 
throne,  elaborately  carved,  and  seats  of  less  pretension, 
methodically  arranged  on  either  side.  The  dhief  seated 
himself  in  the  center  and  invited  the  Captain  to  take 
a  seat  on  his  right,  and  his  wife  on  the  left,  then  turn- 
ing to  the  Captain  said,  "  I  have  sent  for  the  white 
men  on  the  island,  and  will  introduce  them  to  you. 
They  hold  important  positions,  and  have  rendered 
valuable  assistance  in  establishing  a  new  form  of  govern- 
ment. In  ten  days  I  shall  hold  a  council  of  all  the 
chiefs  in  the  group,  to  declare  war  against  the  blarsted 
Stewart  Island  dogs." 

The  Captain  remained  silent.  This  was  proceed- 
ing with  a  vengeance.  He  was  not  prepared  for  any- 
thing of  the  kind,  and  had  no  desire  to  spill  a  drop 
of  blqod  that  was  not  absolutely  necessary.  While 
planning  in  his  mind  a  diplomatic  reply  to  the  chief, 


258  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

the  whole  crowd  of  convicts  that  he  had  met  more 
than  a  year  ago,  came  in  and  stood  before  the  chief. 
The  Captain  and  his  wife  showed  no  surprise,  for 
they  knew  whom  they  were  to  meet,  but  the  French- 
men, little  changed,  started  and  turned  pale,  as  if 
their  contemplated  act  of  a  year  before  had  been 
realized,  and  the  spirits  of  their  martyred  victims  had 
returned  to  remind  them  that  such  villainous  treach- 
ery could  not  pass  unpunished.  The  chief,  noticing 
their  embarrassment,  inquired  of  the  Captain  if  he 
had  met  them  before. 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Captain  slowly,  "I  had  the 
pleasure  of  providing  these  men  with  provisions  and 
water  the  night  before  the  storm  that  drove  them 
to  your  friendly  island,  and,"  with  an  appreciative 
glance  at  the  chief,  "  the  elements  were  kind  to  place 
these  unfortunates  under  your  fatherly  care,  after 
their  perilous  adventure." 

Louis's  face  brightened,  for  he  understood  English, 
and  his  companions  taking  courage  from  the  hopeful 
expression  of  his  countenance,  felt  more  at  ease. 

The  Captain  was  assured,  by  this  little  incident, 
that  the  rough,  uneducated  sailor  king,  half  civil- 
ized, half  savage,  would  not  for  a  moment  approve 
of  such  a  cowardly  act  as  that  of  which  these  men 
were  guilty.  It  was  the  fear  of  an  exposure  of  their 
crime  that  so  frightened  them,  but  when  they  felt 
it  was  not  the  intention  of  the  Captain  to  accuse 


THE   WHITE  KING  259 

them,  they  took  courage  and  calmly  awaited  further 
developments.  Addressing  the  chief,  the  Captain  said, 
in  a  calculating  manner,  ' '  It  will  take  ten  days  for 
you  to  prepare  for  the  great  council  of  chiefs,  and 
such  a  grave  question  for  the  council  to  consider 
will  occupy  several  days  more,  and  it  will  be  more 
than  a  month  before  your  warriors  are  ready  to  eat 
up  the  Stewart  Islanders.  I  am  in  a  great  hurry 
and  must  be  moving.  If  you  will  permit  me,"  bow- 
ing to  the  chief,  "to  take  these  white  men,  and 
furnish  me  with  a  bright  native  interpreter,  I  will  un- 
dertake the  rescue  of  the  boy.  You  can  declare  war 
and  have  your  soldiers  ready  for  transportation  upon 
my  return,  if  I  should  fail  to  accomplish  my  mis- 
sion." 

The  chief  smiled  in  a  maudlin  manner,  and  said, 
"  Whatever  you  want,  Captain,  you  shall  have,  but 
I  will  call  the  council  and  declare  war,  and  be  ready 
to  eat  them  up  when  you  call  for  reinforcements. 
They  are  dogs,  and  you  will  have  to  fight  them  to 
get  your  boy." 

Thanking  the  chief  for  his  kindness  and  gener- 
osity, the  Captain  asked  permission  to  talk  with  the 
Frenchmen  in  their  own  tongue. 

"Certainly,  Captain,"  replied  the  chief  drowsily. 
"Just  command  anything  you  want  in  this  group  of 
islands." 

The   Captain  then   related    to    the   Frenchmen   the 


260  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

object  of  his  cruise,  and  greatly  surprised  them  by 
asking  for  their  assistance  in  the  hazardous  under- 
taking of  the  rescue  of  his  boy. 

"How  can  you  trust  us,"  inquired  Louis,  with 
a  puzzled  expression,  "after  what  you  know  of  my 
companions?" 

"Your  companions,"  quietly  replied  the  Captain, 
"  are  not  so  bad.  Self-preservation  is  the  first  law 
of  nature  and  the  'survival  of  the  fittest,'  which 
means  the  strongest,  is  the  demonstration  of  that  law. 
Their  crime  was  what  they  considered  an  act  of 
necessity.  They  were  mistaken,  and  errors  have  been 
committed  since  creation  dawned,  and  will  continue 
while  time  shall  last.  I  have  never  done  you  any 
harm,  but  have  twice  spared  your  lives.  You  have 
nothing  to  gain  by  treachery,  and  I  may  be  able  to 
render  you  still  greater  service." 

"Captain,"  said  Louis,  with  great  emotion,  while 
his  companions  were  equally  agitated,  "accept  our 
heartfelt  thanks  for  giving  us  the  opportunity  to 
show  our  gratitude  for  your  leniency  under  great 
provocation,  and  to  prove  our  appreciation  of  that 
divine  mercy  manifested  by  your  angel  wife ;  "  then 
to  his  comrades,  "What  say  you?"  and  without 
answer  continued,  "We  will  follow  the  Captain  and 
his  wife  to  the  death,  if  necessary.'1  Then  each  man 
raised  his  right  hand,  and  repeated  solemnly  after 
Louis,  ' '  We  pledge  our  honor  and  our  lives  to  the 


THE   WHITE   KING  261 

rescue  of  heir  boy,  and  may  God  deal  with  us  as 
we  deal  with  them." 

' '  Thank  you, "  was  all  the  Captain  said  in  reply 
to  the  emphatic  pledge  of  the  Frenchmen,  while  his 
wife  wiped  the  tears  from  her  eyes,  making  no  al- 
lusions to  the  fact  that  the  sun,  in  tropical  regions, 
affects  the  eyes. 

"  When  can  you  be  ready  to  start?"  quietly  asked 
the  Captain. 

' '  At  once,  sir.  We  have  no  home  ties, "  said 
I/ouis,  sadly. 

The  Captain  turned  to  the  chief  and  was  surprised 
to  find  him  fast  asleep  in  all  his  royal  glory. 

' '  He  would  not  have  dared  to  sleep  on  duty  while 
he  was  a  sailor,  but  he  is  a  king  now,  and  who 
shall  prescribe  his  hours  of  repose?"  said  the  Cap- 
tain, smiling.  "He  has  plenty  of  time  to  sleep,  while 
we  are  in  a  hurry,  and  he  has  promised  me  an  inter- 
preter. I  am  not  lord  of  the  bedchamber,  and  have 
no  authority  to  disturb  the  slumber  of  His  Majesty, 
but  there  is  no  alternative." 

The  chief  was  really  a  jolly  fellow,  and  did  not 
resent  the  audacity  of  the  Captain  in  arousing  him, 
with  as  little  ceremony  as  if  he  had  been  a  com- 
mon sailor,  but  woke  up  good-natured,  and  thought 
he  must  be  dreaming  when  the  Captain  told  him  he 
was  ready  to  start  for  Stewart  Island,  and  that  lie 
was  only  waiting  for  the  promised  interpreter. 


262  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

"  O,  he  will  be  ready  tomorrow,  or  next  day,  or 
some  time,"  said  the  king,  unable  to  comprehend  the 
anxiety  of  the  Captain  to  get  away  at  the  earliest 
possible  moment. 

"I  shall  leave  this  island  within  an  hour,  whether 
you  provide  me  with  an  interpreter  or  not,"  replied  the 
Captain,  decisively. 

"All  right,  Captain,"  said  the  king  graciously,  "I'll 
divide  the  kingdom  with  you  if  you  just  say  the 
word ;"  then  to  Louis,  "Pick  out  any  man  or  num- 
ber of  men  you  want,  and  if  he,  or  they,  don't  march 
straight  to  the  boat  without  looking  back,  report  the 
same  to  me  at  once.  I  have  not  forgotten  all  ship 
discipline  yet,  eh  Captain  ?  if  I  have  been  laid  up  in 
ordinary  for  the  last  twenty-five  years." 

The  chief  insisted  upon  taking  the  Captain  on  board 
in  the  royal  barge,  and  caused  no  little  delay  by  put- 
ting his  men  through  all  the  evolutions  pertaining  to 
a  well  drilled  boat's  crew ;  and  not  until  he  had  ex- 
hausted evolutions  and  men  did  he  pull  alongside  of 
the  ship. 

But  the  king  did  not  seem  inclined  to  leave  his  new 
found  friends.  The  Captain  had  given  him  a  list  of 
everything  he  had  on  board  for  trade,  and  invited  him 
to  order  whatever  he  wanted.  His  boat  lay  alongside 
loaded  to  the  gunwales,  but  how  to  get  him  ashore 
without  giving  offense  was  a  delicate  question.  The 
king  was  beginning  to  feel  the  serious  effect  of  his 


THE   WHITE  KING  263 

conviviality,  growing  more  gracious  and  friendly  ;  but 
after  shaking  hands  with  each  man  on  board  for  the 
twentieth  time,  and  dividing  his  kingdom  with  the 
Captain  between  shakes,  he  was  safely  landed  on  top 
of  his  boatload  of  goods,  to  the  relief  of  all  on  board. 
The  last  words  to  reach  the  ears  of  those  on  board 
were,  "Call  council, —  hie,  —  ten  days, — hie — ;  clare 
war, — hie — ;  eat  up — hie  —  Stewar'  Ian"  'ogs."  The 
ship  was  under  way  and  steaming  for  Stewart  Is- 
land before  the  king  reached  the  shore. 

"He  is  really  a  good  fellow,"  said  Louis,  as  he 
stood  on  the  bridge  beside  the  Captain,  watching  the 
king,  while  his  faithful  subjects  raised  him  from  the 
boat  and  carried  him  to  his  palace. 

"I  have  seen  ample  proof  of  that,"  replied  the 
Captain.  ' '  Associations,  environments  and  climatic  in- 
fluences have  everything  to  do  with  our  lives.  I 
doubt  if  any  of  us  would  do  much  better  under  such 
circumstances.  Twenty-five  years  among  savages  don't 
improve  the  white  man,  if  he  does  improve  the  savage, 
which  is  questionable." 

The  sailors  were  greatly  surprised  to  see  their  old 
enemies,  the  Frenchmen,  on  board  again,  and  a  lively 
dispute  concerning  the  wisdom  of  taking  the  ' '  cut- 
throats"  along  was  cut  short  by  old  Tom,  who  said, 
authoritatively. 

"Belay  there,  mates,  an'  clap  er  stopper  on  your 
jaw  tackle.  When  the  ole  man  wants  advice  from  us 


264  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

he'll  ask  for  it.  If  you  fellows  thinks  you  can  run 
this  venture  better'n  he  can,  you  had  better  try  for  the 
berth.  The  ole  man  knows  the  main  brace  from  the 
fore  to-bolin,  an'  so  duz  Missus;  an',  mates,  you  knows 
she's  allus  right." 

The  Captain  provided  quarters  for  the  Frenchmen, 
but  took  Louis  into  his  own  cabin,  a  favor  that  was 
fully  appreciated  by  Louis  and  his  comrades. 

"  We  have  led  rather  an  indolent  life  on  the  island," 
said  Louis  in  answer  to  a  question  as  to  how  they  had 
passed  their  time  since  landing,  "but  it  was  better 
than  a  prison.  The  king  showed  us  all  the  considera- 
tion of  honored  guests,  and  tried  to  make  our  stay 
pleasant.  He  is  quite  a  genius  in  his  own  way,  and 
his  subjects  are  justly  proud  of  their  white  chief.  Our 
boat  is  the  pride  of  his  life,"  continued  Louis,  sadly, 
"and  he,  having  been  a  sailor,  knows  how  to  drill 
a  boat's  crew,  which  he  is  very  fond  of  showing  off  on 
every  occasion." 

"  Did  you  intend  to  pass  the  remainder  of  your  lives 
on  the  island?"  inquired  the  Captain. 

"Yes,"  said  Louis  thoughtfully,  "we  are  outlaws, 
and  where  could  we  go?  The  storm  that  forced  us 
away  from  civilization  drove  all  hope  from  our  hearts, 
and  we  were  reconciled  to  our  fate,  until  hope  again 
revived  when  we  learned  the  object  of  your  voyage." 

' '  Have  any  ships  visited  the  island  during  your 
stay?"  inquired  the  Captain. 


THE  WHITE  KING  265 

"An  English  man-of-war  and  your  ship  were  the 
only  visitors,  and  we  were  not  anxious  to  show  ourselves 
to  the  officers  of  any  war  ship,"  said  I^ouis  with  a 
curl  of  the  lip,  watching  the  island  astern  as  it  came 
into  view,  when  the  ship  rose  on  the  crest  of  a 
swell. 


O 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

LOCATING  THE  CANNIBALS 

N  THE  morning  of  the  second  day  after  leaving 
the  Louisiades,  the  ship  steamed  again  into  the 
harbor  of  Stewart  Island  and  came  to  anchor.  The 
same  air  of  desolation  pervaded  the  island  as  before, 
but  somewhere  among  the  hills  the  natives  were  hiding, 
and  their  location  must  be  found.  After  a  consul- 
tation with  Mr.  Baker  and  Louis,  the  Captain  decided 
to  land  twelve  of  his  own  men  with  the  eighteen 
Frenchmen,  and  the  native  interpreter,  under  command 
of  Louis.  This  would  furnish  Louis  with  thifty-one 
men  for  his  expedition,  and  leave  a  full  working  crew 
for  the  ship;  and  in  case  of  capture  of  the  land  party, 
the  Captain  was  to  proceed  with  all  dispatch  to  the 
Louisiade  Islands  for  the  reinforcements  already  pro- 
vided for,  and  make  war  on  the  islanders. 

The  Captain  desired  to  treat  the  natives  diplomat- 
ically. His  plan  was  to  locate  the  savages,  communi- 
cate with  them  if  possible,  and  gain  possession  of  the 
b°y  by  giving  them  any  ransom  they  might  demand. 
Louis  and  his  companions  had  served  in  the  armies  of 
France,  and  as  for  his  own  men,  the  Captain  knew 

(306) 


LOCATING   THE  CANNIBALS  267 

they  had  rather  fight  than  to  ' '  Splice  the  main  brace, " 
and  he  was  fearful  lest  their  fighting  propensities 
would  defeat  the  very  object  he  was  trying  to  accom- 
plish. He  explained  to  the  men  and  officers  the  im- 
portance of  great  caution  and  diplomacy,  "  for,"  he  said 
impressively,  "  a  failure  to  treat  with  the  savages  means 
war  to  the  death.  My  boy  is  in  their  power,  and  if 
we  should  exterminate  the  whole  tribe  the  last  survivor 
might  kill  the  boy  as  his  dying  act." 

The  Louisiade  interpreter  whom  the  sailors  had  al- 
ready, with  nautical  ceremonies,  christened  "Yellow 
Jack,"  because  of  the  color  of  his  skin,  was  a  bright,  in- 
telligent fellow,  but  the  bitter  enemy  of  those  with  whom 
the  Captain  was  anxious  to  negotiate,  and  must  depend 
upon  him  for  proper  and  correct  translations.  He 
was  given  explicit  instructions  by  the  Captain,  and 
placed  under  special  charge  of  Louis,  whom  he  had 
served  with  the  fidelity  of  a  faithful  dog  during  his 
stay  in  the  Louisiades. 

The  Captain  was  satisfied  that  the  presence  of  his  ship 
in  the  harbor  was  known  to  the  savages,  and  closely 
watched  from  the  hills.  No  move  was  made  during  the 
day  that  would  arouse  the  least  suspicion  of  hostilities, 
to  any  one  attempting  to  ascertain  the  mission  of  the 
ship.  The  boats  made  several  trips  ashore  to  give 
the  impression,  to  any  spying  savage,  that  she  was  a 
peaceful  merchantman,  and  had  called  to  fill  water 
and  gather  a  few  cocoanuts ;  but  after  dark,  the 


268  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

innocent  looking  merchantman  was,  as  if  by  magic, 
transformed  into  the  most  terrible  fighting  machine 
afloat,  and  the  quiet,  inoffensive  sailors  into  deter- 
mined fighting  men,  who  had  never  been  defeated  on 
land  or  sea.  The  outrigging  nets  were  swung  out 
and  the  wire  nettings  triced  up,  while  the  dynamo 
was  ready  to  send  a  deadly  current  around  the  cir- 
cuit of  the  ship.  Under  cover  of  darkness,  Louis  and 
his  men,  well  armed  and  with  two  days'  rations, 
quietly  left  the  ship.  The  Captain  prepared  to  re- 
main on  deck  during  night,  while  his  wife,  without  show- 
ing any  unusual  anxiety,  retired  early  to  her  cabin. 
The  island  was  small,  and  the  location  of  the  sav- 
ages, could  not  be  more  than  five  miles  away,  and  if 
everything  worked  favorable  the  expedition  was  ex- 
pected to  return  the  next  day.  If  the  party  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  savages,  Louis  was  to  signal  by 
rockets,  with  which  he  was  provided,  according  to  a 
code  arranged  by  the  Captain.  No  signals  were  to  be 
made,  under  any  circumstances,  on  the  first  night,  for 
fear  of  alarming  the  natives.  The  ship  \vas  to  remain 
until  the  party  returned,  or  signified  their  capture  by 
the  display  of  rockets,  which  no  doubt  would  have 
amused  the  natives,  while  giving  information  to  the 
Captain.  The  first  rocket  that  pierced  the  darkness 
of  the  second  night  of  the  departure  of  Louis  from 
the  ship  would  have  been  the  signal  for  the  Captain 
to  proceed  to  the  Louisiade  Island,  take  on  board  all 


LOCATING   THE  CANNIBALS  269 

the  native  warriors  his  ship  could  carry,  return,  at- 
tack the  Stewart  Islanders,  and  take  the  consequences. 

"I  wish  I  could  have  gone  with  the  party,"  said 
Mr.  Baker,  as  he  joined  the  Captain  on  the  bridge. 
' '  This  suspense  is  worse  than  taking  the  chances  of 
capture,  and  of  being  served  up  rare  or  well  done, 
according  to  taste.  I've  chewed  a  pound  of  navy  to- 
night." 

"I  would  rather  be  with  them  myself,"  replied 
the  Captain  ;  ' '  but  everything  depends  upon  the  ship, 
and  we  can't  take  any  chances ;  but  I  don't  think 
there  will  be  much  trouble  if  we  can  make  the  heathen 
understand  that  all  we  want  is  a  five-year-old  boy, 
who  can't  be  worth  so  much  to  them  as  I  am  ready 
to  pay  for  him.  If  they  are  like  most  natives,  they 
had  rather  trade  than  fight,  especially  after  the  lesson 
taught  them  by  the  English  man-of-war." 

' '  I  guess  they  will  confine  themselves  more  closely 
to  a  vegetable  diet  for  a  while,"  said  Mr.  Baker, 
taking  a  fresh  quid  of  tobacco  as  he  left  the  bridge 
and  hunted  around  decks  to  find  something  that  would 
direct  his  thoughts  into  a  more  pleasant  channel. 

The  long,  long  night  wore  on,  and  daylight  found 
the  Captain  wearily  pacing  the  bridge.  The  crew 
turned  to  and  performed  their  regular  routine  work 
of  washing  decks,  cleaning  brass  work,  and  squaring 
the  yards  by  lifts  and  braces,  but  the  Captain,  as  if 
in  a  trance,  continued  his  walking  backward  and 


270  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

forward  across  the  bridge,  totally  oblivious  to  the 
bustling  scene  around  him. 

"What  time  do  you  look  for  the  men  to  return?" 
inquired  the  Captain's  wife,  as  she  came  on  deck  to 
take  a  cup  of  coffee  with  her  husband.  The  Captain 
started  as  if  just  awakened  from  a  sound  sleep,  and 
looking  around  caught  the  anxious  look  of  his 
wife. 

"I  believe  I  have  been  asleep;"  and  then  to  Mr. 
Baker,  "Have  I  been  sleeping?" 

"No,  sir,  you  have  been  walking  the  bridge  all 
night,"  replied  Mr.  Baker,  with  a  puzzled  look  at 
the  Captain. 

' '  Then  I  have  walked  while  asleep,  for  I  do  not 
remember  when  the  hands  turned  to,"  said  the  Cap- 
tain, carelessly;  "but  to  your  question,  my  dear. 
If  Louis  succeeds  in  negotiating  with  the  natives, 
the  party  will  be  in  this  afternoon.  If  he  has  placed 
himself  in  their  power  under  pretense  of  arranging 
the  ransom,  all  will  depend  upon  the  good  faith  of 
the  savages.  If  they  are  ambushed  and  captured, 
we  will  have  a  fight  on  our  hands  that  will  end  only 
when  we  or  the  heathen  are  exterminated.  We  have 
come  after  the  boy,  and  we  either  take  him  away  or 
stay  here  with  him." 

A  determined  look  and  compression  of  the  lips 
were  the  only  visible  indications  that  the  Captain's 
wife  heard  the  remarks  of  her  husband,  as  she  quietly 


TING     THE    CAX\IRALS  271 

sipped    her   coffee    and     occasionally     glanced     toward 
the  distant    hills. 

"She's  ashamed  to  stay  up  any  longer,"  said  old 
Tom,  as  the  sun  finally  hid  -herself  behind  the  island, 
and  ended  the  longest  and  most  anxious  day  of  his 
life. 

"I  don't  want  another  day  like  this,"  said  Jack. 
1 '  It  beats  the  long  day  that  Joshua  commanded  the 
sun  to  stand  still." 

"What  ship  was  he  on,  mate?"  inquired  old  Tom, 
innocently. 

"What  ship  was  he  on,"  repeated  Jack  contemp- 
tuously. "  He  was  no  sailor,  but  was  bossin'  er  lot  of 
lubbers,  an'  wanted  more  time,  so  he  just  told  the 
sun  to  stan'  still,  an'  she  stood,  while  he  knocked 
the  tar  out  of  the  Philistines  with  the  jawbone  of 
an  ass.  You  had  better  read  your  bible.  But  say, 
Tom,  did  you  hear  the  ole  man  say  he  was  asleep 
all  the  time  we  was  washin'  decks  this  mornin',  an' 
we  sees  him  walkin'  the  bridge  all  the  time?" 

"  Nothin'  out  the  ordinary,"  said  Tom,  with  an  air 
of  superiority;  "  when  you've  sailed  salt  water  for  forty 
years  you'll  know  suthin',"  this  by  way  of  evening 
up  on  Joshua.  "My  chum,  Jim,  we  uster  call  him, 
allus  went  to  sleep  walkin',  an'  you  couldn't  tell  he 
was  asleep.  He'd  walk  the  foc'sle  like  er  marine  on 
duty,  an'  at  reg'lar  times  he'd  walk  over  an'  look'up 

to  see  if  the  lights  was  burnin'.     Poor  Jim,"   wiping  his 
18 


272  RBSCCED  BT  A   PRIXCE 

eyes,  "one  of  them  new-fangled  sawbones  got  hold  of 
him  an'  put  him  to  sleep,  an'  told  him  not  to  wake 
till  he  was  called,  an'  Jim  allus  'beyed  orders.  Saw- 
bones was  killed  by  a  runaway  horse  less'n  hour,  an' 
left  Jim  to  sleep,  an'  nobody  else  could  wake  him  up. 
He  had  to  'bey  orders." 

"  How  did  he  get  erwake,"  inquired  Jack  sneeringly, 
"  if  nobody  could  wake  him  ?  " 

"Never  did  wake  up,  an'  has  been  er  sleep  for 
more'n  twenty  years,"  said  Tom  solemnly. 

"Think  any  one  can  stow  away  that  yarn?" 
inquired  Jack  impatiently. 

"  'Bout's  snug  as  the  one  you  spun  with  the  jaw- 
bone of  an  ass,"  said  old  Tom,  winking  at  his  mates 
as  he  struck  a  match  and  settled  down  for  a  smoke. 

Night  came  on,  and  no  sign  of  the  men.  The  Cap- 
tain, losing  all  hope  of  their  return,  ordered  up  steam 
and  anxiously  waited,  dreading  the  signal  that  would 
send  him  back  to  the  Louisiades  for  men  to  begin  a 
savage  war  which  meant  death  to  many,  perhaps  to  his 
boy  or  himself  and  wife,  without  accomplishing  the 
task  for  which  they  had  spent  their  fortunes,  and  were 
risking  their  lives. 

"  I  guess  the  cannibals  have  got  them  in  tow,"  said 
the  Captain  sadly,  falling  into  a  seat  and  covering  his 
face  with  his  hands;  then  he  gave  a  start  of  glad  sur- 
prise and  sprang  from  his  seat  as  he  distinctly  heard  a 
long,  low  whistle. 


LOCATING     THE     CANNIBALS  273 

Mr.  Baker  sprang  from  the  bridge,  Tom  stopped 
short  in  the  most  exciting  part  of  a  blood-curdling  ghost 
story,  and,  together  with  his  awe- stricken  auditors, 
rushed  for  the  boat,  for  every  one  on  board  knew  the 
whistle  of  their  shipmate,  Billie.  The  crew  tumbled 
into  the  boat  and  pulled  ashore,  leaving  a  luminous 
wake,  like  a  fiery  path,  from  the  ship  to  the  beach, 
while  the  regular  strokes  of  the  oars,  breaking  the  water 
in  equal  spaces,  gave  it  the  appearance  of  a  huge 
illuminated  centipede. 

The  boat  returned  in  a  few  minutes,  but  to  the 
anxious  watchers  on  board  the  ship,  seemed  as  many 
hours.  Louis,  followed  by  Billie,  was  the  first  to  reach 
the  deck,  and  to  the  imploring  look  of  the  Captain's 
wife,  the  former  said: 

"  Madam,  your  boy  will  be  in  your  arms  before 
morning." 

She  did  not  scream  nor  faint,  but  without  a  word, 
turned  and  went  below. 

"Follow  your  mistress,  Mary,"  said  the  Captain, 
"but  do  not  disturb  her  unless  she  calls  you."  He 
understood  his  wife,  and  knew  she  wanted  to  be 
alone,  but  he  felt  more  at  ease  to  have  Mary  within 
call,  as  she  was  greatly  attached  to  her  mistress,  and 
possessed  that  happy  faculty  of  being  near  and  not 
annoying,  companionable  but  not  a  companion. 

The  mother  felt  sure  of  seeing  her  boy  as  Louis 
had  promised,  and  did  not  care  for  any  particulars. 


274  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

They  had  all  returned  safe,  and  she  had  no  curiosity 
to  learn  of  their  adventure.  There  had  been  no  loss 
of  life.  The  long  period  of  agony  and  suspense  was 
apparently  nearing  its  end,  and  that  was  all  she 
cared  about.  The  boy  was  still  in  the  power  of  the 
savages,  but  she  believed  the  statement  of  Louis. 
She  could  not  talk,  not  even  with  her  husband  ;  she 
wanted  to  be  alone.  Not  so  with  the  Captain.  He 
wanted  to  learn  all  the  particulars,  and  then  reason 
on  the  possibilities  of  success  or  failure.  Ke  firmly 
believed  in  the  intuitional  perceptions  of  his  wife, 
but,  man-like,  thought  he  could,  by  his  own  judg- 
ment, greatly  assist  in  the  fulfillment  of  the  decree 
already  gone  forth.  He  did  not  realize  his  corre- 
lation with  the  great  thought  energy  that  was  in- 
tensifying and  creating  a  force  that  no  physical  power 
could  resist  and  which  would  materialize  the  mental 
vision  first  perceived  by  a  more  receptive  mind  than 
his  own. 

"We  followed  the  well-beaten  path  for  two  hours," 
said  Louis,  "when  it  ended  as  abruptly  as  if  the  end 
had  been  cut  off  and  thrown  away  ;  but  as  we  were 
near  the  crest  of  the  hill,  we  pushed  on  and  reached 
it  without  much  difficulty.  Here  was  our  second 
surprise.  We  suddenly  emerged  from  darkness  into 
a  full  glare  of  light,  which  barely  saved  us  from 
wralking  over  a  precipice.  We  dropped  to  the  ground 
and  quietly  crawled  back  into  the  shadow,  to  escape 


LOCATING   THE  CANNIBALS  275 

the  observation  of  the  natives,  and  to  study  the 
location,  which,  has  the  appearance  of  the  vast  crater 
of  a  volcanic  mountain,  nearly  a  mile  in  diameter ; 
but  unlike  any  other  extinct  volcano,  the  crater  i? 
nearly  filled  with  a  table  land,  covered  with  vege- 
tation, rising  about  forty  feet  from  its  base,  with 
nearly  perpendicular  sides.  Between  this  singular 
formation  and  the  mountain  proper  is  a  chasm,  with 
precipitous  sides,  and  as  far  as  I  could  discern,  this 
natural  moat  encircled  the  habitation  of  the  natives 
as  completely  as  that  of  any  fortified  town  of  olden 
time,  and  only  required  the  drawbridge  and  port- 
cullis to  reproduce  on  this  island  the  famous  strong- 
holds of  the  Middle  Ages.  The  elevation  must  have 
the  same  appearance  from  any  point  of  view  as  it 
does  from  the  ship,  and  no  one  would  ever  imagine 
that  inside  of  that  ordinary  looking  mountain  is  a 
natural  fortress,  capable  of  sustaining  the  whole 
population  of  the  island,  and  so  secure  that  it  would 
require  an  army  and  the  best  engineering  skill  to 
invade  it." 

"You  are  correct,"  interrupted  the  Captain,  "we 
made  the  circuit  of  the  island,  and  from  every  point 
it  presents  the  same  appearance.  I  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  was  the  one  hill  of  the  island,  and  I 
wasn't  so  far  out  of  the  way  when  I  told  the  English 
Captain  that  the  natives  were  not  on  the  island,  but 
I  did  not  know  that  the  mountain  was  hollow." 


276  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

"Hundreds  of  small  fires  were  burning,"  continued 
Louis,  "and  the  place  was  as  light  as  a  city  street. 
The  whole  surface  was  covered  with  naked  savages, 
who  were  singing  and  dancing,  happy  and  contented. 
I  saw  your  little  boy  and  his  great  black  dog,  closely 
attended  by  a  bright  native  girl,  who  kept  away  from 
the  crowd  and  took  no  part  in  the  dance,  but  seemed 
to  care  for  nothing  but  the  boy,  who  divided  his  time 
and  affection  between  the  girl  and  his  dog.  The  chasm 
was  between  us  and  the  natives,  and  as  we  kept  just 
outside  of  the  light  we  had  no  fears  of  an  attack  or 
detection.  They  make  no  fires  in  the  day,  for  the 
smoke  would  reveal  their  retreat.  At  night  the  smoke 
cannot  be  seen,  and  the  hill  hides  the  fires. 

"Yellow  Jack  took  great  interest  in  the  girl  with 
the  boy,  and  watched  her  every  motion  like  a  hawk, 
and  as  she  turned  in  the  full  light  of  the  fire,  he  touched 
my  arm  and  said,  '  That  is  my  sister,  whom  the  gods 
have  spared,'  and  fell  on  his  face  and  gave  thanks  to 
his  deity:  I  knew  Yellow  Jack  well  enough  not  to 
disturb  him,  so  I  watched  the  girl  with  greater  interest. 
The  boy,  tired  of  playing  with  his  dog,  went  up  to  the 
girl  and  held  out  his  hands.  She  took  the  little  fellow 
in  her  arms,  lovingly  and  tenderly  as  a  mother,  while 
the  dog  lay  down  at  her  feet,  with  his  head  between 
his  paws  and  his  eyes  fixed  on  his  little  master.  Cap- 
tain," with  a  break  in  his  voice,  "my  heart  went  out 
to  that  boy.  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  chasm  I  fear  I 


LOCATING   THE  CANNIBALS  277 

should  have  been  imprudent  enough  to  have  rushed  in 
and  seized  the  boy  and  taken  the  consequences. " 

"  Your  cooler  judgment  would  have  prevailed  before 
you  had  committed  such  a  rash  act,"  said  the  Captain, 
in  a  voice  that  betrayed  his  own  feelings. 

"When  Yellow  Jack  had  finished  his  devotion," 
continued  Louis,  "  he  rose  and  gave  a  peculiar  note  of 
a  bird  I  have  heard  on  the  Louisiade  Islands,  but  no- 
where else. 

"The  girl  gave  a  glad  cry  of  surprise,  and  looked 
around  with  much  apprehension,  as  if  fearing  the 
natives  had  noticed  the  whistle,  but  they  continued 
their  dance,  which  apparently  satisfied  the  girl.  She 
began  to  sway  gently  to  and  fro,  singing  a  low,  sweet 
melody,  as  if  to  lull  the  child  to  sleep.  Yellow  Jack 
listened  until  she  had  finished  the  song,  then  said, 
'  She  come  when  dogs  sleep.' 

'"Nonsense,'  I  exclaimed,  out  of  patience  with 
his  stoicism,  '  How  could  she  tell  you  that  she  was 
coming  to  meet  you,  and  those  around  her  not  hear 
it?'  Yellow  Jack  laughed  low  and  said,  'I  thought 
white  man  smart.  The  islanders  know  something.' 
'Did  she  know  you?'  I  inquired.  'Yes,'  he  replied, 
'that  is  our  family  call.'  Then  it  occurred  to  me 
that  each  family  of  the  Louisiades  has  a  call,  or 
signal  of  its  own.  'She  sang,'  continued  Yellow 
Jack,  '  the  history  of  our  tribe  and  family  in  the 
language  of  the  Louisiades,  which  the  dogs  of  Stewart 


278  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

Island  don't  understand;  they  can't  talk,"  he  said 
contemptuously,  '  but  make  a  noise  like  monkeys. 
She  sang  of  the  great  chiefs  and  the  white  king,  of 
our  father  and  mother,  and  when  we  played  together 
on  the  sand,  and  in  the  water;  when  she  went 
away  from  the  island  as  a  servant  to  a  captain's  wife 
three  years  ago;  how  the  dogs  killed  the  captain, 
his  wife,  and  all  on  board  but  my  sister,  and  fired 
the  ship.  She  sang  the  story  of  the  white  boy  in 
her  arms,  and  how  she  loved  him  ;  that  the  natives 
were  afraid  of  the  ship  in  the  bay  and  were  watch- 
ing her  movements.  At  the  conclusion  of  each  sub- 
ject of  her  story  she  sang  the  refrain,  ' '  I  ccme, 
Louisiade,  I  come."'  I  inquired  how  he  knewr  she 
would  come  when  they  sleep.  '  She  can't  come  when 
they  are  awake,'  was  his  logical  answer.  Then  he 
rolled  in  the  brush  to  stifle  his  laughter  at  his 
superiority  over  the  white  man,  and  the  joy  of  soon 
seeing  his  sister,  for  the  Louisiade  Islanders  are  very 
affectionate  in  their  family  relations.  I  knew  that 
Yellow  Jack  was  telling  the  truth,  but  could  not 
realize  that  we  had  a  friend  in  the  camp  of  the 
enemy,  who  was  a  captive  and  as  eager  to  escape 
as  we  were  to  icscue  the  boy.  I  could  not  com- 
prehend the  changed  condition  which  made  that  natural 
fortress  no  more  of  an  obstacle  to  success  than  a 
castle  of  straw.  It  was  too  good  to  be  true,  and  I 
was  afraid  that  the  girl  would  not  come  as  promised 


LOCATING   THE  CANNIBALS  279 

by  Yellow  Jack.  We  waited  and  watched  until  the 
last  ember  of  their  fires  faded  away,  and  my  bright 
vision  of  success,  and  castle  of  straw  was  growing 
dim,  when  to  my  great  joy  and  surprise,  she  stood  before 
us  in  all  her  native  grace.  The  direction  from  which 
she  came  is  a  mystery ;  she  may  have  risen  out  of 
the  earth  for  all  I  know.  Not  the  rustle  of  a  leaf 
or  the  breaking  of  a  twig  to  herald  her  coming.  But 
there  she  stood  like  the  spirit  of  the  night.  The 
meeting  between  the  savage  brother  and  sister  was 
very  affectionate,  and  after  their  native  congratula- 
tions, Yellow  Jack  told  her  the  mission  of  the  ship 
in  the  harbor,  and  that  the  boy's  mother  was  on 
board,  dying  of  grief,  and  that  on  the  morrow  he 
and  his  companions  would  visit  the  chief  and  offer 
a  ransom  for  the  boy.  She  said  the  chief  would 
not  accept  a  ransom  ;  that  the  boy  had  been  adopted 
after  the  custom  of  the  tribe,  and  was  to  be  chief 
when  he  was  grown.  Yellow  Jack  told  her  that  the 
white  king  of  the  Louisiades  had  promised  to  help 
the  Captain,  and  that  he  would  send  his  warriors 
and  eat  up  the  Stewart  Island  dogs.  To  this  she 
replied  that  the  people  would  laugh  at  any  force 
of  native  warriors  sent  against  them,  but  they  were 
afraid  of  the  big  guns  of  a  war  ship.  '  You  will 
all  be  captured,'  she  continued,  'if  you  -  go  to  the 
tribe.  Go  back,  and  I  will  be  on  the  beach  by  the 
ship  with  the  boy  and  dog  before  the  light  breaks 


280  RESCUED  nr  A   PRINCE 

in  the  east.'  This,  Captain,  is  the  substance  of 
what  Yellow  Jack  related  to  me  in  his  broken  Eng- 
lish, after  more  than  an  hour's  talk  with  his  sister 
in  their  own  language.  We  did  not  get  back  until 
after  daylight,  and  fearing  the  natives  might  be 
watching,  we  took  no  chances,  but  concealed  our- 
selves in  full  sight  of  the  ship,  where  we  have  been 
all  day." 

"  Do  you  think  your  sister  will  surely  come, 
Jack  ?  "  inquired  the  Captain. 

"No  catch   her,    she  come,"  replied   Jack. 

"And  if  they  catch  her,  then  what?"  inquired 
the  Captain,  adding,  "  wrhich  they  most  likely  will." 

"  We  eat  'em  up,"  said  Yellow  Jack,  with  a  wicked 
gleam  in  his  eyes. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

HARRY   RESCUED 

'•pHE  Captain  was  not  so  much  elated  over  the 
^  unexpected  turn  of  affairs,  as  the  enthusiastic 
Frenchman.  Negotiations  for  the  peaceful  possession 
of  the  boy  by  ransom  was  out  of  the  question,  and 
he  must  wait  for  the  success  or  failure  of  a  plan  that, 
to  him,  appeared  to  depend  wholly  t:pon  chance.  The 
girl's  intention  to  escape  with  the  boy  might  even 
now  have  been  discovered,  and  the  mission  of  the 
ship  in  the  harbor  already  revealed,  which  would  put 
the  natives  on  the  defensive. 

"Where  did  the  girl  go  after  talking  with  you?" 
inquired  the  Captain. 

Louis  started  with  surprise  and  replied,  "  I  don't 
know.  It  did  not  appear  strange  at  the  time,  but 
novv  when  I  come  to  think  of  it,  she  disappeared  as 
mysteriously  as  she  came." 

"There  are  two  points  in  your  report  that  puzzle 
me,"  said  the  Captain.  "The  sudden  appearance  and 

disappearance   of  the  girl,    and  the  abrupt  termination 

(281) 


•Jvj  RESCUED  #r  A   PRINCE 

of  the  trail  which  was  so  well  defined  to  a  certain 
point.  What  was  the  nature  of  the  ground?" 

"The  trail,"  said  Louis,  "was  as  easy  to  follow 
as  a  public  highway,  until  we  ran  up  against  the 
square  face  of  a  rock  overhung  with  vegetation  of 
some  kind.  Some  of  the  party  turned  to  the  right, 
the  rest  to  the  left ;  the  night  was  starlight  but  we 
could  not  discover  any  path,  and  as  both  parties  met 
a  little  farther  up  the  mountain,  we  did  not  hunt 
any  longer  for  the  trail,  but  picked  our  way  up  to 
the  top.  Daylight  might  reveal  the  divergence  of  the 
path  which  could  not  be  easily  traced  in  the  night. 
As  for  the  girl,  we  were  watching  for  her  coming, 
and  looking  across  the  chasm  when  she  came  up  from 
somewhere  behind  us.  She  was  talking  with  her  brother 
a  little  way  from  me,  and  as  I  relied  upon  him  for 
all  the  information  she  could  give,  I  was  not  watching 
them  very  closely." 

"How  did  your  sister  cross  the  .chasm,  Jack?" 
inquired  the  Captain. 

"She  come  through  big  hole,"  replied  the  inter- 
preter. 

"Do   you   know   where    the   big   hole   is?" 

"  Can   find    it   when   look." 

"Was  the  hole  at  the  end  of  the  path?"  inquired 
Louis,  earnestly. 

"  Must  look  find  hole,"  said  Yellow  Jack,  in  an 
exasperating  manner. 


HARRT  RESCUED  283 

Threats,  coaxing,  and  bribing  proved  unavailing  ;  the 
Captain  could  gain  no  further  information  from  Yellow 
Jack. 

' '  How  near  can  we  lay  to  the  shore,  Mr.  Baker, 
and  keep  the  ship  afloat  ?  ' '  inquired  the  Captain. 

"We  can  lay  her  alongside  of  the  bank,  sir,"  re- 
plied Mr.  Baker. 

"  Heave  ahead,  then,  and  moor  alongside.  As  the 
whole  business  of  rescue  has  been  taken  out  of  our 
hands,  and  the  only  information  we  have  to  go  by 
is  the  few  monosyllables  of  a  stoical  savage,  we  will 
make  it  as  easy  as  possible  for  the  girl  to  get  on 
board  with  the  boy  if  she  succeeds  in  reaching  the 
landing,  and  guard  against  all  possible  failures  at  this 
end  of  the  line.  If  the  girl  should  be  discovered  in 
her  attempt  to  escape,  or  missed  before  she  arrived 
here,  the  whole  tribe  will  give  chase,  and  I  had  rather 
take  chances  with  our  lightning  machine  than  with 
a  hand  to  hand  fight  on  the  beach." 

The  ship  was  moored  alongside  of  the  bank,  with 
a  single  hawser  ashore  from  the  bow,  and  another 
from  the  quarter,  while  kedges  were  carried  out  to 
sea  from  the  opposite  quarter  and  bow.  Steam  was 
ordered  up  and  the  outrigger  net  lowered  waist  high 
over  the  bank,  with  the  current  ready  to  be  turned  on. 

Louis,  with  his  force  increased  to  forty  men,  was 
ordered  back  to  the  end  of  the  trail  and  to  lose  no 
time  in  reaching  it ;  and  if  Yellow  Jack  did  not  find 


2S4  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

the  entrance  to  the  retreat  of  the  savages  in  five  min- 
utes, Louis  was  further  instructed  to  shoot  him  on  the 
spot.  The  Captain  was  convinced  that  Yellow  Jack 
knew  the  location  of  the  secret  passage,  and  would 
not  reveal  it  ;  not  because  of  disloyalty  to  the  Cap- 
tain, but  he  really  believed  that  he  and  his  sister  could 
manage  the  escape  far  better  than  the  white  men,  and, 
like  all  ignorant  people,  whether  civilized  or  savage, 
it  was  useless  to  reason  with  him.  While  the  Captain 
appreciated  the  native  cunning  of  the  savage,  he  knew 
that  to  gain  possession  of  the  entrance  of  their  strong- 
hold was  to  hold  the  key  to  the  situation.  This  plan, 
carefully  studied  by  himself  and  Louis,  would  not  inter- 
fere with  the  escape  of  the  native  girl  and  his  boy,  but 
might  assist  them  at  a  critical  moment.  If  the  girl  failed, 
he  could  leave  a  force  strong  enough  to  hold  the  pas- 
sage until  he  could  make  the  trip  to  the  Louisiades 
and  return  with  re-enforcements.  The  Captain  had  full 
confidence  in  Louis,  and  realized  that  his  military  train- 
ing and  active  service  in  the  army  of  France  made 
him  an  invaluable  aid  in  an  emergency  of  this  nature, 
and  was  certain  that  under  his  leadership  the  Louisiade 
Islanders  could  drive  the  savages  trom  their  natural 
fortress. 

While  these  plans,  formulated  by  men  of  a  supe- 
rior race,  were  being  executed,  the  native  girl,  alone  and 
among  enemies,  with  her  natural  intuition  and  nativj 
cunning,  was  working  out  her  plan,  to  make  good  the 


!;.\RRr  RESCUED  285 

promise  given  to  Louis  through  Yellow  Jack.  When 
she  reached  her  cabin,  after  the  visit  to  her  brother, 
she  found  it  empty:  the  boy  she  left  asleep  under  the 
protection  of  Darkey  was  gone,  and  the  dog  also  was 
missing.  She  did  not,  like  her  white  sisters,  give  way 
to  grief,  but  set  to  work  to  outwit  the  savages,  who 
had  taken  advantage  of  her  absence  to  hide  the  boy. 
It  was  evident  that  the  suspicions  of  the  natives  had 
been  aroused,  and  the  fact  that  they  had  taken  the  boy 
away  proved  that  they  mistrusted  the  girl  and  sur- 
mised the  mission  of  the  ship  in  the  harbor.  How 
much  the}'  really  did  know  of  the  facts  will  never  be 
ascertained.  The  next  day  she  visited  the  old  chief, 
who  treated  her  kindly,  but  significantly  said  that  the 
boy  would  be  returned  to  her  after  the  ship  left  the 
island.  The  primitive  man  is  of  few  words,  and  she 
left  his  presence  no  wiser  than  when  she  entered  it. 
She  accepted  the  situation  with  the  usual  stoicism  of 
the  native,  but  she  would  steal  away  from  the  village 
after  midnight,  go  to  the  ship  and  report  the  situa- 
tion, and  then  return  ;  for  she  would  never  leave  the 
boy  if  she  remained  a  captive  for  life.  Silently  and 
sadly,  while  the  natives  were  sleeping,  she  left  her  cabin 
to  perform  what  she  felt  was  her  duty  :  inform  the  boy's 
mother  and  father  that  she  had  failed,  through  no  fault 
of  hers,  to  bring  the  boy  to  the  ship  as  she  had  prom- 
ised, and  above  all  things  desired.  She  had  nearly 
reached  the  entrance  to  the  well-worn  stairway,  cut  out 


286  RESCUED  BY  \\    PRTXCE 

of  the  S9lid  rock,  which  leads  to  the  underground  pas- 
sage, forming  the  only  means  of  transit  from  and  to  this 
unique  habitation,  when  the  breaking  of  a  twig  caused 
her  to  stop  and,  after  the  method  of  natives,  drop  to  the 
ground  to  listen.  While  in-  this  listening  attitude  she 
felt  a  warm  breath  on  her  cheek,  and  looking  up  saw 
the  shaggy  form  of  Darkey.  The  poor  girl  suppressed 
a  cry  of  joy,  and  threw  her  arms  around  the  noble  dog. 
"Where  is  your  master?"  whispered  the  girl.  At  this 
the  dog  started  off  as  silently  and  cautiously  as  if  he 
understood  the  situation  and  that  everything  depended 
upon  his  behavior,  and  led  the  way,  followed  by  the 
girl,  through  the  village  and  straight  up  to  a  hut  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  table-land.  The  girl  cautiously  ap- 
proached the  hut  and  looked  in,  while  Darkey  stood 
quietly  watching  her.  On  the  ground  lay  the  boy  fast 
asleep,  and  not  far  away  an  old  woman,  watching  over 
him.  The  girl  waited  until  the  old  woman  fell  asleep  ; 
then  like  a  fairy  she  entered  the  hut,  and  taking  the  boy 
gently  in  her  arms,  glided  out  without  awakening  the 
bov  or  the  old  woman.  Swiftly  and  silently  she  passed 
asrain  through  the  sleeping  village  and  reached  the 
stairway.  A  sentry  abruptly  ordered  the  girl  back, 
snatching  the  boy  out  of  her  arms.  Darkey  flew  at  his 
tnroat,  which  caused  him  to  drop  the  boy.  Quick  as 
a  flash,  the  girl  caught  up  the  litfle  fellow,  rushed  for 
the  entrance,  down  the  stone  steps,  and  along  the  dark 
passage.  She  could  hear  the  alarm  and  the  war  cry  of 


QUICK   AS  A    FLASH,    THE    GIRL   CAUGHT    UP   THE    LITTLE    FELLOW. 

RUSHED  FOR  THE  ENTRANCE,  DOWN  THE  STONE  STEPS. 

AND  ALONG  THE  DARK  PASSAGE. 


HARRT  RESCUED  287 

the  tribe,  and  knew  that  her  escape  had  been  discovered, 
and  that  her  safety  depended  upon  her  strength.  With 
many  a  bruise  and  fall,  she  struggled  along  the  dark 
passage.  The  boy  and  dog  seemed  to  comprehend  the 
situation,  for  neither  made  the  least  noise,  while  Darkey 
displayed  the  intelligence  of  a  human  being.  Always 
close  to  the  girl,  he  appeared  to  sympathize  with  her  in 
her  noble  effort  to  escape  ;  when  she  would  fall,  the  grand 
brute  would  lick  her  hand  or  face,  and  pull  at  her  dress 
as  if  to  encourage  her  to  keep  on.  She  could  hear  the 
yells  of  the  savages  behind  her,  and  the  flare  of  their 
torches  of  burning  wood  was  already  casting  her  own 
shadow  She  was  now,  by  the  light  of  her  pursuers, 
making  better  progress,  and  displaying  the  nerve  of  a 
savage  running  the  gauntlet ;  but  with  the  boy  in  her 
arms  and  the  great  waste  of  energy  in  the  darkness  at 
the  beginning,  the  effort  was  telling  on  her.  She  would 
reach  the  mountain  entrance,  then  what?  With  a  fair 
start,  even  with  the  extra  weight  of  the  boy,  she  could 
have  won  on  the  five-mile  race  from  the  entrance  to  the 
ship,  for  the  Louisiade  Islanders  are  the  most  famous 
runners  of  all  the  natives  in  Australasia.  But  her  pur- 
suers were  fresh,  and  the  chances  were  against  her.  The 
savages  gradually  gained  on  her,  and  when  she  emerged 
from  the  long  dark  tunnel,  the  fastest  runner  of  the 
tribe  was  so  close  that  Darkey  attacked  him,  and  dog 
and  savage  rolled  on  the  ground  in  front  of  the  entrance ; 
while  forty'  men,  with  gleaming  rifles,  took  up  their 


288  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

stations  in  front  of  the  opening  that  led  to  the  strong- 
hold of  the  Stewart  Islanders,  and  were  masters  of  the 
situation  as  long  as  they  cared  to  stay ;  but  how  were 
they  to  get  away  ? 

"The  sun  was  up  over  the  foreyard,  as  the 
sailors  express  it,  to  indicate  the  time,  nine  or  ten 
o'clock,  and  no  sign  of  the  rescue  party.  The  Cap- 
tain had  paced  the  deck  all  night,  and  now,  with 
unsteady  steps,  was  keeping  up  his  monotonous  tramp. 

"  They  will  surely  rescue  Harry,"  said  the  Cap- 
tain's wife,  as  if  trying  to  encourage  her  husband. 

"Hadn't  we  better  send  out  a  gang  to  find  out 
what's  the  trouble?"  inquired  Mr.  Baker,  as  he  came 
on  the  bridge  and  joined  the  Captain  in  his  weary 
march. 

"No,"  replied  the  Captain,  "we  have  no  more 
men  to  spare  ;  we  must  not  cripple  the  ship.  Ix>uis 
can  hold  that  entrance  any  length  of  time  ;  we  shall 
hear  from  him  before  night." 

"That's  true,  Captain,  but  I've  been  thinking  if 
the  situation  is  what  we  think,  it  will  be  no  trouble 
to  keep  the  heathen  in  the  hole,  but  as  soon  as 
our  men  start  for  the  ship,  the  savages  will  pour  out 
like  the  water  through  the  bow  port  of  a  Merrimichi 
lumberman.  It  will  be  a  race  between  sailor  and 
savage,  and  a  sailor  is  no  tea-clipper  on  land." 

"  You  are  right,  Mr.  Baker,"  said  the  Captain, 
' '  but  you  must  not  forget  that  Louis  and  his  com- 


HARRT  RESCUED  289 

rades  are  all  trained  in  the  science  of  war,  and  as 
for  men,"  with  a  gleam  of  pride  in  his  eyes,  "they 
are  not  much  for  running,  but  he  never  commanded 
such  fighters." 

"True,    Captain,  but  this  hain't  civili " 

' '  By  the  Great  Neptune,  and  all  the  little  gods, 
ther's  Darkey  ! ' '  shrieked  Mr.  Baker,  wild  with  ex- 
citement as  he  pointed  with  unsteady  hand  toward  the 
ruined  village. 

"Yes,"  said  the  Captain  in  a  hollow  voice,  hardly 
above  a  whisper  ;  then  looking  through  his  glass,  ' '  and 
Yellow  Jack  —  the  girl — and  the  boy,  and  in  no  more 
of  a  hurry  than  if  they  were  out  for  a  stroll.  I 
will  trice  up  that  yellow  heathen  when  he  gets  aboard, 
as  a  punishment  for  his  audacious  coolness.  Why  don't 
they  move?" 

"Why,  my  dear,"  said  his  wife  quietly,  "can  you 
not  see  that  they  are  running  ? ' ' 

The  Captain  looked  at  his  wife  in  amazement,  but 
the  hollow  eyes  and  livid  lips  revealed  the  intense  emo- 
tion which  she  was  suppressing. 

' '  Trice  up  the  starboard  netting, ' '  ordered  Mr.  Baker, 
as  Yellow  Jack,  who  was  a  little  in  advance  of  his 
sister,  neared  the  ship. 

"Lower  away,"  was  the  next  order,  as  Darkey, 
the  last  to  pass  under  the  deadly  wire,  sprang  on  deck 
and  gave  a  joyous  bark. 

The  mother  hysterically  grasped  her  boy  and  rushed 


290  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

to  her  cabin,  followed  by  Mary,  the  native,  girl  and 
Darkey,  who  would  not  leave  his  little  master.  The 
father  looked  on  as  if  doubting  the  reality  of  the 
scene,  but  arousing  himself,  he  glared  at  Jack,  who 
stood  on  the  deck  below  the  bridge,  expressionless  as 
a  bronze  statue. 

"  Why  don't  you  speak,  you  yellow  heathen?  Where 
is  Louis  and  the  men?" 

"  A  volley  of  musketry  and  the  yelling  savages  an- 
swered the  question  before  Yellow  Jack  could  say  ' '  He 
come. ' ' 

Louis  and  his  men  had  emerged  from  the  narrow 
trail,  and  covered  about  half  the  distance  across  the 
clearing,  where  once  stood  the  native  village.  The  sav- 
ages, who  had  followed  at  a  safe  distance  were  com- 
pelled, by  the  impregnable  growth  of  vegetation  forming 
natural  walls  on  both  sides,  to  keep  the  narrow  path, 
now  pouring  out  of  the  narrow  passage  and  rapidly 
spreading  out  on  each  side,  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  off 
the  retreat  of  the  white  men  and  prevent  them  from  reach- 
ing the  ship.  It  was  to  check  these  extending  arms 
which  threatened  to  enfold  them  that  the  first  volley 
was  fired.  This  volley  did  not  check  the  savages, 
who,  with  a  yell  of  defiance,  gradually  closed  in  on  the 
little  company,  while  extending  their  wings.  This 
maneuver  was  well  planned  and  quickly  executed,  and 
would  have  proved  disastrous  to  the  little,  band  of 
'  sailors  but  for  two  well-directed  shots  from  the  ship, 


HARRT  RESCUED  291 

which  astonished  the  natives.  Louis,  taking  advantage 
of  their  confusion,  made  a  dash  for  the  ship,  but 
the  savages,  recovering  from  their  surprise  upon  seeing 
their  pre>'  escaping,  dashed  forward  in  a  solid  body, 
on  a  line  with  the  retreating  party  and  ship.  The 
natives  gained  rapidly  on  the  sailors,  and  Louis,  realiz- 
ing that  he  could  not  reach  the  ship  before  the  can- 
nibals would  be  upon  them,  ordered  his  little  company 
to  halt.  Every  man  obeyed,  and  faced  the  enemy, 
who  checked  their  mad  rush  and  came  to  a  standstill 
within  three  hundred  yards  of  the  white  men,  who 
were  about  two  hundred  yards  from  the  ship.  From 
the  bridge  the  Captain  was  anxiously  watching  the 
fight,  but  was  powerless  to  aid  the  retreating  party, 
for  after  the  two  shots  that  enabled  Louis  .to  reach 
the  position  he  now  held,  the  Captain  could  not  use 
his  guns  without  danger  to  his  own  men.  But  how  was 
he  to  master  this  critical  situation  and  relieve  his 
men?  The  natives  were  a  thousand  strong,  held  at 
bay  by  dread  of  the  forty  rifles  in  the  hands  of  the 
men  facing  them.  How  long  would  this  passive  con- 
dition continue  ?  A  word  from  some  bold  leader,  or 
even  an  accident,  would  break  the  spell,  and  set  in 
motion  that  body  of  wild  men,  who,  when  once  started, 
would  sweep  on  like  an  avalanche,  crushing  every- 
thing in  their  course,  until  they  reached  the  ship. 
Louis's  men  could  fire  but  one  volley,  and  if  every 
rifle  shot  found  its  victim,  what  were  forty  men 


292  RESCUED  BT  A  PRINCE 

more  or  less  to  that  multitude,  constantly  increas- 
ing? 

The  Captain  hailed  I/mis  through  his  speaking 
trumpet,  "When  I  drop  my  trumpet,  every  man  fall 
to  the  ground  ;  in  the  panic  that  follows  my  shots, 
make  a  dash  for  the  ship,  and  don't  face  them  again, 
if  they  follow  you  on  board !  Are  you  ready,  Mr. 
Baker?" 

"  All   ready,  sir." 

The  Captain  dashed  his  trumpet  on  the  deck  and 
ordered  ' '  Fire  ! ' '  The  four  guns,  loaded  with  grape 
and  canister,  belched  forth  their  death-dealing  charges. 
Before  the  smoke  cleared  away,  the  men  were  rushing 
on  board,  with  the  yelling  savages  in  hot  pursuit. 

"Stand  by  to  lower  away  the  netting,"  ordered 
the  Captain,  anxiously  watching  the  race  between  his 
men  and  the  infuriated  savages,  and  realizing  that  it 
would  be  a  close  finish. 

"Lower  away!"  shouted  the  Captain,  as  the  last 
man  passed  under  the  raised  netting  and  sprang  on 
deck.  ' '  Cut  the  hawsers ' ' 

"Full  speed  ahead,"  rang  the  bell  in  the  engine 
room,  and  the  propeller  was  churning  the  water,  with 
the  ship  straining  at  the  hawsers,  which  the  men, 
with  well  directed  blows,  quickly  severed.  The  ship 
sagged  a  little  from  the  bank,  but  before  she  could 
gather  headway  the  foremost  savages,  yelling  with 
baffled  rage,  threw  themselves  upon  the  charged  rod 


HARRT  RESCUED  293 

supporting  the  netting,  thinking  to  tear  it  away  and 
reach  the  deck,  while  their  comrades  in  the  rear 
rushed  on,  crowding  them  over  the  netting  until  the 
narrow  space  between  the  shore  and  ship  was  filled 
with  writhing,  helpless  cannibals,  who  were  prostrated 
by  the  shock  of  the  electric  current,  or  bruised  and 
drowning  by  falling  over  each  other,  and  held  under 
water  by  the  great  wild  crowd  forced  over  the  bank. 
In  a  moment  the  great  ship,  freed  from  her  hawsers, 
glided  away  from  the  bank,  homeward  bound,  leaving 
hundreds  of  yellow,  lifeless  forms  stretched  on  the 
beach,  and  floating  in  the  water,  while  their  awe- 
stricken  tribesmen  fell  on  their  faces  and  implored  the 
gods  to  deliver  them  from  the  mysterious  fighting 
machine  which  they  had  encountered  with  such  deadly 
effect. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
CONCLUSION 

*"pHE  ship  clear  of  the  harbor,  and  a  course  laid  for 
*  the  Louisiade  Islands,  the  Captain  went  below, 
where  he  found  his  wife  and  Mary  crying  and  laugh- 
ing by  turns,  with  the  native  girl  stoically  surveying 
the  strange  scene,  while  his  naked,  half  savage  boy, 
locked  in  his  mother's  arms,  looking  from  one  to  the 
other,  wondering  what  all  the  fuss  was  about. 

"Oh,  Frank,  just  see  how  he  is  tanned,  and  he 
can't  speak  a  word  of  English,"  said  the  hysterical 
mother  with  a  fresh  burst  of  tears  that  went  around. 

"  Put  some  clothes  on  the  little  savage,  and  he 
won't  show  so  much  tan,"  said  the  Captain,  holding 
out  his  hands  to  his  boy,  who  while  recognizing  his 
father,  nestled  closely  to  his  mother. 

"Go  bring  his  clothes,  Mary,  what  are  we  think- 
ing about  ? "  "  But,  Frank  how  are  we  going  to 
talk  with  him?  " 

"That  is  easily  settled,"  said  her  husband,  send- 
ing for  Yellow  Jack,  who  was  installed  interpreter  in 
waiting  to  the  Captain's  wife,  and  he  was  "  in  wait- 
ing "  all  the  time,  had  to  eat  between  transmissions 
(294) 


CONCL  USION  295 

of  mother  talk  and  small  boy  questions,  and  sleep 
when  mother  and  son  were  forced  to  yield  to  nature's 
sweet  restorer. 

Although  a  heathen,  Yellow  Jack  bore  the  torture 
with  the  fortitude  of  a  Christian,  and  if  at  any  time 
his  savage  nature  rebelled,  a  reproachful  glance  from 
the  wonderful  eyes  of  his  sister  compelled  his  sub- 
mission, and  with  a  sigh  resigned  himself  to  his  fate 
with  a  heroism  worthy  of  a  flame-enveloped  martyr. 

The  ship  arriving  at  the  Louisiade,  steamed  up  to 
her  old  berth  off  the  village,  and  before  the  anchor 
left  the  cathead,  the  old  white  chief  was  on  board, 
while  his  faithful  subjects  surrounded  the  ship  and 
yelled  themselves  hoarse  in  honor  of  the  occasion. 

"Captain,"  said  the  king,  "If  you  had  taken  my 
advice,  and  waited  till  I  had  declared  war,  you  would 
have  eaten  them  up.  If  the  Captain  of  the  ' '  Unicorn ' '  had 
taken  my  advice  twenty  years  ago,  he  would  not  have 
lost  his  ship  and  all  hands.  If  the  crew  had  followed 
my  example  they  would  have  been  saved." 

"If  the  Captain  had  taken  your  advice,  you  would 
not  have  been  a  king,  and  if  the  crew  had  followed 
your  example,  there  would  have  been  many  rivals  for 
the  throne,"  replied  the  Captain. 

"That  sounds  all  right,"  said  the  king  much 
amused,  "but  this  is  not  the  right  kind  of  climate  to 
reason,  we  act.  I  have  declared  war  with  the  Stewart 
Island  dogs. 


296  RESCUED  BT  A   PRINCE 

1 '  You  need  not  have  declared  war  on  my  account, 
for  we  have  rescued  the  boy,"  said  the  Captain. 

The  king  started,  and  nearly  fell  to  the  deck.  It 
was  the  first  surprise  he  had  experienced  for  twenty 
years,  and  the  sensation  was  too  much  for  him. 

"  If  you  have  rescued  the  boy,  bring  him  out,"  said 
the  king,  recovering  from  the  shock. 

As  if  in  compliance  with  the  king's  demand,  the 
little  savage  rushed  out  of  the  cabin,  followed  by  his 
mother,  Mary,  and  the  native  girl,  with  Yellow  Jack  on 
hand  to  interpret  whatever  he  might  say.  Seeing  the 
natives  on  deck,  he  uttered  a  childish  warwhoop,  and 
was  in  the  midst  of  them  with  his  clothes  off,  before  he 
could  be  captured.  The  king  roared  with  laughter, 
sailors  and  natives  joined  in,  while  the  Captain,  officers, 
and  the  Frenchmen  surpressed  their  merriment,  as  the 
little  savage  was  carried  off,  by  the  three  women  to  the 
cabin, closely  followed  by  Yellow  Jack, who  was  expected 
to  interpret  every  word  he  had  spoken  while  on  deck. 

"Your  expedition  would  have  been  a  failure,  if 
it  had  not  been  for  two  of  my  subjects,"  said  the 
king,  as  a  last  argument  to  prove  the  wisdom  of 
his  advice. 

"I  am  not  sure  about  the  natives  eating  us  up 
while  we  could  produce  an  electric  current,"  said 
the  Captain,  "but  we  owe  our  success  to  Yellow 
Jack  and  Joan,"  who  had  received  that  historic 
name  in  honor  of  her  flight  with  the  boy. 


CONCL  USION  297 

Joan  was  so  much  attached  to  the  boy,  that  all 
the  persuasions  of  her  family  could  not  induce  her 
to  leave  him,  and  the  Captain's  wife  looking  upon 
her  as  the  savior  of  her  child,  desired  to  adopt  her. 
So  it  was  settled,  Yellow  Jack  was  the  interpreter, 
and  he  was  added  to  the  ship's  company,  if  not  to 
the  Captain's  family. 

Louis  was  pleased  to  accept  the  Captain's  invi- 
tation to  accompany  him  to  the  States,  and  his 
companions  to  remain  on  board  for  the  present. 

The  Captain  had  plenty  to  spare,  and  he  gave 
the  king  everything  he  desired  ;  furnished  him 
with  firearms  and  ammunition  enough  to  place  the 
Louisiade  government  on  a  substantial  war  footing, 
which  would  have  terrified  the  Stewart  Islanders  if 
they  had  known  of  it.  In  return  the  king  loaded 
the  ship  with  the  rich  products  of  the  island. 

With  genuine  regret,  the  Captain  sailed  away 
from  the  island  which  had  proven  an  aid  to  Louis 
and  himself. 

The  Frenchmen  were  landed  at  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
and  liberally  supplied  with  money  to  start  life  again 
in  a  new  country,  where  a  man's  past  record  is  not 
inquired  into  very  closely.  Louis  remained  with  the 
Captain. 

A  pleasant  run  from  Rio  brought  the  ship  home 
after  an  absence  of  eight  months,  having  made  the 
circuit  of  the  earth,  and  fulfilled  her  mission,  and 


298  RESCUED  #r  A   PRINCE 

for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  human  race, 
no  one  regretted  the  lost  opportunity  of  saying,  "  I 
told  you  so. ' ' 

The  ship  was  sold,  and  the  cargo,  presented  by 
the  old  king,  paid  all  the  expenses  of  the  voyage. 

Mr.  Baker  was  given  command  of  the  ship,  and 
Bill  was  promoted  to  first  officer  or  mate. 

It  was  a  struggle  with  Mary  whether  to  remain 
with  her  Mistress,  or  marry  Bill.  Love  conquered, 
and  Mary  and  Bill  were  married  in  the  presence  of 
the  whole  ship's  company,  and  many  of  the  Cap- 
tain's friends. 

Darkey  died  of  old  age,  lamented  by  all.  His  skin, 
artistically  stuffed,  occupies  an  honored  position  in  the 
best  furnished  room  in  the  house,  adorned  by  a  fresh 
wreath  of  flowers  the  year  round.  He  was  a  no- 
ble brute  with  human  instincts. 

Louis  and  the  Captain  are  constant  companions, 
and  Tom  is  never  so  happy  as  when  he  is  signaled 
to  make  ready  the  boat  for  a  cruise,  and  no  captain 
of  the  navy  takes  so  much  pride  in  his  ship  as  Tom, 
when  sailing  the  Captain's  yacht. 

Joan,  refined  and  pretty,  is  a  loving  and  devoted 
daughter  to  her  white  parents.  Harry,  grown  to  man- 
hood, is  a  soldier  in  the  Philippines,  where  his  fos- 
ter sister  followed  as  an  army  nurse  to  be  near,  and  to 
care  for  her  brother,  who  fully  appreciates  the  de- 
votion of  the  native  girl,  who  supplied  the  place  of 


CONCL  US  TON  299 

his  mother,  when  he  was  a  captive  among  the  can- 
nibals, and  still  watches  over  him  with  all  the  love 
and  devotion  of  a  mother  and  only  sister  combined. 
The  Captain's  wife  will  not  cross  a  bridge  if  she 
can  go  around  it,  but  has  taken  to  riding  a  wheel, 
which  is  the  next  dangerous  thing  to  fighting 
pirates  and  cannibals. 


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